• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Calatrava Mayor Marilyn Era yesterday said that she will abide by the decision of the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pay a fine, which is equivalent to her two month salary, after was found guilty of grave abuse of authority and gross negligence of duty in connection with the complaints filed against her by medical consultants hired by the municipal government.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s committee of the whole, acting as a quasi judicial body, decided to use the money to compensate complainants Lewyn Torres and Kristine Ureta, in accordance with existing rules and regulations governing the implementation of the decision of the quasi-judicial body.
Torres and Ureta claimed their contracts, which were yet to expire, were terminated by Mayor Era, who is receiving a monthly salary of P125,000.
While she admitted lapses on her part, Era questioned why her two months salary, equivalent to P250,000, will be given to the complainants, the legal basis of which they are now looking into.
The mayor also dismissed claims in the social media that she was suspended for two months, which she linked to politics.
I was not suspended, Era clarified.
Era, who is now serving her second term as mayor of Calatrava, met yesterday with the 48 town barangay captains, to help her enlighten residents of Calatrava on her claim that she was not suspended.
The fine is supposed to be paid to the government. But by giving it to the people who did not deserve it is “unjust enrichment,” Era added, noting the two doctors received a salary of P60,000 each a month.
Records showed Torres and Ureta were hired as consultants of the Calatrava Municipal Hospital for the period covering April 1 to June 30 this year.
The doctors’ appointments were contained in a memorandum of agreement signed between them and the municipal government of Calatrava.
The complainants said that a month before their contracts expired, they were informed that they would no longer receive their work schedule.
Torres and Ureta said they wrote a letter to Era asking for a clarification, but they reportedly did not receive any reply from the mayor.
That prompted the complainants to bring the matter before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.*
