Former Makati City mayor Romulo Peña Jr. is unfazed by the second complaint filed by the city government with the Commission on Elections against him about the promotion and transfer of city hall personnel during the election period.
“I will answer this complaint in the proper forum, but in the meantime let me do things to serve the people,” said Peña.
Peña made the statement in reaction to the second complaint lodged by Makati City chief legal officer Michael Arthur Camiña, asking the Comelec to take necessary legal actions against him for issuing Letters of Appointment on Feb. 1, 2016 effecting the promotion and transfer of personnel.
“Once more, the Personnel Selection Board of the city government had acted in good faith through proper screening and deliberation of promoted and regularized personnel. More people still need our public service, and we will do it even if I’m not in the government office anymore,” he said.
Peña said all officers-in-charge and department heads appeared before the PSB to defend their recommendations, which included traffic aides and street sweepers, who have been in the city government’s roster for 25 years as casual employees.
“It is only during the regime of Bagong Makati when they were given regular plantilla positions,” he added.
Peña also denied the allegations of the presence of ghost employees during his term, saying those personnel got proper clearance from the city’s Human Resources Department Office before getting their 13th month pay and other benefits last December.
The former mayor asked his critics and political rivals to unite for the welfare of the people of Makati.
“I feel sorry for some persons who are trying to ride on my popularity to bankroll their ambition in Makati. Sadly, the outpour of support we’re receiving in our weekly ‘Kamustahan, Intindihan at Damayan’ shows otherwise. The people of Makati knows who are really posturing in contrast to true blue public servant,” said Peña.
Camina’s letter, dated March 15, stated that three city employees promoted and transferred by Peña whose appointments were subsequently invalidated by the Civil Service Commission for being “not in order.”
Based on records of the city Human Resource Development Office, Jeffrey Samson, Clerk III under the Education Department, was transferred to the HRDO with the position of Administrative Assistant VI-Clerk III effective February 1, 2016.
On March 1, 2016, Fordeliza N. Silva and Aileen M. Soriano were promoted and transferred. From her previous position of Accountant IV under Accounting Department, Silva was promoted to Chief Administrative Officer-Cashier V under Finance Department.
Soriano, on the other hand, was promoted and transferred from Budget Officer IV under Budget Department to Accountant V under Accounting Department.
Comelec Resolution No. 9981, promulgated on August 18, 2015, prescribed the election period from January 10, 2016 to June 8, 2016. Under the Omnibus Election Code, the transfer or movement of personnel in the civil service during election period is prohibited, except with prior authority from Comelec.
Earlier this month, Camina also wrote a letter asking the Comelec Law Department head Norina Tangaro-Casingal to file a case against the former mayor over the transfer of personnel without prior authority from the poll body.
Peña served the city for more than a year after Jejomar Erwin Binay was dismissed from the service as elected mayor of Makati for his involvement in the alleged overpriced City Hall Building III.
In the May 9, 2016 elections, Peña ran for mayor under the Liberal Party but lost to Binay’s sister Abigail.
Peña filed an election protest contesting the victory of Abigail. He said his men have documented and found evidence of massive vote-buying during the elections. Several vote-counting machines did not credit the votes for him, while some of his supporters and poll watchers were harassed, he added.
The Comelec first division, however, dismissed the election protest for lack of evidence, saying the case “suffered from insufficiency in form and content.”