5,000 hired for political purposes?

DAVAO CITY — Controversy now hounds the government of outgoing City Mayor Benjamin de Guzman which, the association of City Hall employees claimed, hired about 5,000 people between January and March this year and spent at least P91 million for their salaries.

A six-page advertisement appeared in each of the local papers here, listing down the names of those who were hired and whose salaries were reportedly drawn from the city’s peace and order fund.

City administrator Nestor Ledesma, however, defended the hiring, saying it was not an act of extravagance but was necessary to improve the delivery of services.

Some quarters, however, claimed the 5,000 people were hired for political purposes, in the run-up to the May 14 elections where De Guzman eventually lost to first district Rep. Rodrigo Duterte.

Ledesma said a large portion of the peace and order fund was used for the purchase of vehicles, spare parts and fuel of police and military forces in the city.

He said the city government also provided assistance to the peace and order drive of the field office here of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

De Guzman terminated the services of the contractual employees as early as last month due to lack of funds.

Several city councilors have urged an investigation into the actual services rendered by these workers to erase doubts that they have been used for political purposes.