ANGELES CITY – A high-ranking official of this city yesterday blamed the some P400 million debts left by former mayor and now Pampanga First District Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin for their failure to pay Job Orders (JOs) and statutory obligations.
City Administrator Ireneo “Bong” Alvaro, in an interview, said they had to pay P106,834,323 million for this year as part of their plan to pay the debts incurred by Lazatin during his term as mayor.
“As much as possible, I don’t want to mention the debts left by the former mayor because they think I am just politicking. But I have to do it for the public to understand why it’s difficult to run the city when we have to pay so many debts,” Alvaro said in the dialect. “It comes to them [Lazatin’s group] when we mention the problem,” he said.
Alvaro issued the statements following reports that salaries of some 1,000 JOs have been delayed for almost three months.
He also denied that the city government had no enough funds to give the Christmas bonus of their regular workers.
Citing the budget circular of the Department of Budget and Management issued in 2005,
Alvaro said it had been mentioned in the said circular that “the remaining half or the balance of the full YEBs (due to step increments or promotions) of the full YEBs (for those not granted ½ YEBs in May for lack of service requirements) shall be paid not earlier than November 15 but not later than November 30 of each year, provided that the condition stipulated under item 4.1.1 are satisfied.”
He said that: “We are still right on track and we have until Friday, November 28 to give the bonus.”
“We have the money and we will give them away before weekend,” Alvaro added. He disclosed that they are set to distribute some P14.5 million as bonuses to regular workers.
Alvaro admitted that they were not bale to pay the salaries of at least 140 JOs for the month of October.
“It’s the end of the year and we have to pay so many obligations. We have to allot about P26 million for the debt of Lazatin in the last quarter,” he said.
Alvaro said they could pay the obligations of the city government despite the debts left by Lazatin.
