BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The non-payment of salaries of 447 job order employees of the Isabela municipal government since October 15 is beyond my control, declared Mayor Irene Montilla.
Montilla blamed it to the partial approval of the P3,393,717.28 supplemental budget number 2, which was received by the Sangguniang Bayan led by Vice Mayor Renato Malabor Jr, on July 13 this year.
Montilla said that the municipal council only approved P1,880,012,90
This prompted Montilla to request for approval of supplemental budget number 3, which included a portion of supplemental budget number 2, that was not approved earlier by the municipal council.
Up to this time, Montilla said that the municipal council has yet to act her request for approval of the supplemental budget.
The budget for the salary of the contractual workers was included in the request for supplemental budget, the mayor said.
As a temporary measure, Montilla said she and her son Councilor Juan Miguel distributed rice assistance to the affected employees.
Malabor is challenging Montilla for the Isabela mayoralty post.*
