Fire them!
By Leonardo Micua
I cannot imagine that until Wednesday, July 6, Mayor Belen Fernandez only received a hazy picture of the finances of Dagupan, particularly the budget left in every office, from the city’s finance committee composed of the city budget officer, accountant and treasurer.
What’s keeping that committee formed by the past city administration from giving the mayor a full report of the finances up to the time her predecessor exited his office?
The dilly-dallying spawned wild speculations that this committee is out to derail the work of the new city administration. A full report from those in the know about the financial condition of the city till the old administration ended its term is supposed to be a mandatory requirement but that committee has not taken this task seriously.
Mayor Belen has reason to wonder why that committee is submitting its report on a piece-meal basis. This is a tacit admission that the claim of the former mayor that he left P1.2 billion in hard money in the coffers is but a concocted fake news posted on the page of the former Dagupan PIO, to illustrate a glossy record in finances when he was at the helm.
Such a self-serving claim is belied by the failure of the finance committee to submit a full report about the financial status of Dagupan today.
The finance committee is tasked to keep track of all the day to day transaction of the city but why is the committee still piecing together records of financial transactions that transpired in the past?
The members of the finance committee don’t deserve to stay in their posts since they can’t seem to be able to perform their tasks even with the modern technology available to them. Mayor Belen should find new ones to replace them.
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Mayor Belen admitted to the local media that in the absence of information on the city’s actual funds, she could not move at a faster pace that she had wanted to. If that committee is changing figures to suit the political agenda of someone, its members are betraying their oaths as government servants and ought to be booted out.
Methinks no amount of “fixing” can correct the wrong that had been done since figures don’t lie and don’t argue. The whole truth will eventually come out, sooner than later. The good always triumphs over the evil.
Given this seeming refusal of the finance committee to cooperate and comply, I am sure Mayor Belen is already thinking of appointing new people to take charge of the committee, people who are more responsive and professional in their work. Didn’t she promise during her inaugural that she will rid city hall of undesirable people? This means she will not hesitate to terminate non-performing officials and employees.
I am sure Mayor Belen has already called on COA to help with a special audit in order to ascertain the truth about the true finances of Dagupan. This should not take long I suppose.
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The rumored “sibakan” blues at the provincial capitol during the first days of office of Governor Ramon Guico III did not happen nor will it happen in the next coming days, weeks and months.
Guv Mon-Mon’s has assured the employees on his first working day that he will dust off politics for now as he is eager to roll up his sleeves and buckle down to work. He admitted that he is “more rational, more considerate and more compassionate” having been long trained as an entrepreneur, manager and founder of schools and a pilot, before he plunged into politics.
The governor told the capitol employees that for as long they did not damage the organization, did not compromise their values and that of the institution, they have no problem. They can keep their jobs for as long as they don’t betray his trust. That is a mark of a good leader!
By the way, Mon-Mon set the tone of his administration: Management by objective. Each of the more than 6,000 workers of the provincial government must seek to achieve and accomplish the objectives set by the provincial government based on a timetable.
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