• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez said March 24 that he does not agree on the decision of the Commission on Elections to allow job order (JO) and contract of service (COS) workers to engage in campaigning activities for the May 12 elections.
Benitez stood firm on his earlier stance that JOs and COS workers should remain apolitical.
He said that these personnel are paid by the city, and should not be allowed to join campaign rallies or any activity that pushes or gathers support for any candidate.
“Kabudkay gamiton ang ginasueldohan sang sudidad, kuwarta sang syudad ang ginasueldo sa ila so indi puede mangampanya. I do not agree to this Comelec decision. I won’t allow the JOs to engage in campaigning,” Benitez stressed.
He earlier said he wants JO employees to remain apolitical and do their work properly; and warned of corresponding sanctions for violators.
The city has around 4,000 JO workers.
In Minute Resolution 24-1001 released March 21, the Comelec said government personnel who are non-civil servants, including JOs and COS, are allowed to engage in campaigning activities, but shall be without prejudice to any prohibited acts that they may commit.
“(This is) without prejudice to the liability of any person, who would use under any guise whatsoever, directly or indirectly, public funds or money to employ JO and COS workers for the purpose of any election campaign or partisan political activity,” the Comelec said.
All elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials have also been allowed to join political and campaign activities for the midterm polls.
The Comelec said that these elected officials are exempted from the prohibition for public officers to engage in any partisan political activities.
“The Comelec resolves to exclude elected barangay and SK officials from the coverage of the prohibition against intervention in any election campaign or engagement in partisan political activities,” it added.
The resolution was based on the Supreme Court ruling that states that the prohibition is limitedly applied to civil service officers and employees, and does not include elected officials. | CGC, PNA
