Toledo dads ask ombuds: Tell Sonny to release wages

CEBU, Philippines - Toledo City councilors are asking the Ombudsman to direct Mayor John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña to release the salaries and benefits of city government employees.

They said the move of the mayor has hampered the delivery of basic services and violates the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The urgent motion was filed by Councilors Ricardo Pepito, Rogelio Caburnay, Louis Nicholas Espinosa, Helen Jill Espinosa, Edgardo Aguilar and Antonio Borja, Jr.

But the city’s lawyer, Glenn Cavada, said that the city cannot release the salaries and benefits owing to an order of the Regional Trial Court that restrains the city from disbursing its annual budget for 2014 amounting to P619 million. The councilors themselves were the ones who asked the court to withhold the release of the budget because it was approved despite the Council not reaching a quorum.

“If we release the funds, we will be held in contempt of court because there was this standing order – the writ of preliminary injunction restraining us to disburse the annual budget,” Cavada said.

Osmeña already asked  the Court of Appeals to nullify the RTC decision.

But the councilors’ lawyer, Judilyn Tapia, said the petition for certiorari filed by Osmeña violates the rule on the filing of a motion for reconsideration.

“Again, the administration camp is making short cuts of procedures. They don’t respect procedures. They raised points not supported by the full facts of the case. They are playing dumb and blind to the existence of the facts which negates their position,” Tapia said. –/JMO (FREEMAN)