3,000 contractual employees in Cotabato LGU to lose jobs amid political feud, budget crisis
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 17 Oct) – Thousands of contractual workers in Cotabato City are facing an uncertain future as the local government grapples with a budget crisis amid political tension between the executive and legislative branches.
Mayor Bruce Matabalao announced on Wednesday that approximately 3,000 contractual employees will be terminated from their positions starting Thursday, Oct. 17.
“The City Government is not yet bankrupt. Just to clarify, me and the department heads have decided to terminate the contracts for the meantime. We cannot afford that they will work without a salary,” he said in a press conference.
The mayor attributed this drastic measure to the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s alleged refusal to approve an additional budget to cover the salaries of contractual employees and provide salary increases for regular employees.
Matabalao claimed that without the necessary funds, the city government could no longer sustain its current workforce.
But Vice Mayor Joharie Butch Abu said Matabalao is to blame, claiming mismanagement of public funds as the root cause of the issue.
Abu alleges that despite a substantial budget allocation for contractual employees’ salaries, the funds were inexplicably depleted halfway through the year.
Abu said that the council approved a total budget of P1.58 billion or P131.6 million per month for the city for the year 2024.
“Out of this, P75 million was allocated for the salaries of all COS [Contract of Service] in the City for the entire year 2024. However, this fund was exhausted in the middle of the year, and the Mayor’s Office and the Local Finance Committee (LFC) have failed to provide an explanation,” Abu said in a statement.
The vice mayor has called for transparency and accountability, demanding answers to crucial questions such as the whereabouts of the allocated funds and the reasons behind the sudden shortage.
“The City Council has repeatedly requested the Mayor’s Office to provide a detailed account of the expenditures but it failed to do so,” Abu stressed.
The Council has also expressed concern over the missing list of contractual employees, suggesting potential irregularities in the payroll system.
“Where is the list of the 3,000 employees, and why is the SP being denied access to it? Is there something we are not supposed to see?” Abu asked the mayor.
The vice mayor also questioned how come the Contract of Service (COS) salary was insufficient and yet the mayor sought to ask more when the number of COS employees has not increased.
The ongoing standoff between the legislative and executive branches has left thousands of contractual workers in limbo, uncertain about when they will receive their much-needed salaries.
Meanwhile, 17 department heads and heads of offices within the Cotabato City government have issued a joint statement expressing their unwavering support for the mayor and rejecting allegations of his interference in their duties.
They clarified that Matabalao has never obstructed their cooperation with the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) and has consistently encouraged them to provide necessary support to legislative matters.
“We want to clarify that City Mayor Mohammad Ali C. Matabalao has never hindered our cooperation with the Sangguniang Panlungsod. In fact, the Mayor issued an office order on September 23, 2024, encouraging us to provide necessary support, input, and assistance in legislative matters. We are one with the City Mayor on this matter and have consistently upheld our obligations, respecting our limitations and adhering strictly to the rule of law,” the statement said.
Matabalao has filed his reelection bid as the candidate of the MILF-backed United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), which has now allied with the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the party of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while Abu is with Lakas-CMD-SIAP Alliance. Matabalao and Abu were in tandem during 2022 elections under UBJP against the incumbent administration of Mayor Cynthia Guiani.
Matabalao, Abu and Guiani are expected to clash in the 2025 elections for the mayoralty post.
Abu is the son of the late Ghazali Jaafar, the MILF’s vice chairman for political affairs. He later served as chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)
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