COA to Dumaguete City gov't workers: Return bonuses

CEBU, Philippines- The two groups of casual plantilla employees of the Dumaguete City government has been ordered by the Commission on Audit to return the amount granted to them last year as their productivity enhancement incentives.

City Administrator William Ablong said the first set of employees were those whose salaries were charged to the lump sum appropriation, GSIS members, with leave credits, Philhealth members with counterpart contributions from the city government and receiving other benefits given to regular employees.

These employees were ordered to return P15,000 of the P20,000 given to them last year, because only the P5,000 of the amount was allowed by COA as bonus.

The other set of casual employees, numbering 459, were those whose salaries were charged to the maintenance and other operating expenses, or MOOE. They were notified to return the whole amount of bonus they received because the COA deemed them not qualified by law to get such incentive.

Ablong, however, assured the workers that all legal remedies will be exhausted first to counter the COA order, as returning the money will only be the last option.

Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria also said he will represent the affected employees in filing an appeal before the COA-7 regional office until it reaches the COA central office up to the Supreme Court.