Davaoeños were all in awe waiting for the lighting of the giant Christmas tree at the grounds of City Hall as well as other season’s decoration along the city’s major streets. And their wait culminated the other day when the city government switched on the lights of the huge Christmas tree and other X-mas decors at the Rizal Park.
Of course the significance of the lighting is that it signals the start of the month-long celebration of the so-called Pasko Fiesta in city. This celebration is all about how the local government values the Christmas season and what it can offer to make the holidays worthwhile for the residents of Davao.
But while the wait for the lighting and the start of the Pasko Fiesta is over the more anxious waiting by the thousands of City Hall employees is not. And we mean the amount of bonuses they can expect to get from the city government and when they can receive the same.
Yes, over the week-end we have an acquaintance from the city’s Accounting Department who dropped by our little snack corner along with another friend. We joked the accounting personnel on how happy could the city hall employees this Christmas considering that like last year they are about to receive a huge mana from the city.
The employee was sarcastic in answering us. According to the Accounting worker as of that day there was no talk about how much will the city be giving to its employees. The worker friend told us that unlike last year and the years before when the amount of the bonus other than the 13th month pay were already determined, this year there seems to be a deafening silence from the city’s top officials.
O, really? How come? We know for a fact that as of the end of then city mayor and now Vice President Sara Duterte’s term the local government was reported to have paid all debts incurred to fund city infrastructure projects.
In other words, the VP’s younger brother Mayor Baste assumed office with the city’s financial liabilities all erased.
Therefore, the mayor has a lot of leg room to mobilize resources to fund whatever will be decided as bonuses or cash gifts to city government employees.
And what is this we hear from city hall insiders that certain members of the mayor’s inner circle are floating the idea for the scrapping of the employees’ Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA). It is one highly disturbing development for the thousands of City government workers.
Of course, as we said earlier, we heard this from some city hall employees. Whether or not there is some truth to it, we have no idea. But let us not forget the saying that where there is smoke, in all likelihood there is fire.
Thus, even if the sources can be considered as “grapevines” it is better to be aware and be ready should such eventuality happen.
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As we have written in our previous columns it is just a matter of two weeks or a little over that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. will be appointing a new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). One of the many contenders is our very own Lt. Gen. Michael John Dubria.
What will prevent the President from appointing a new director general is if the appointment of PNP chief Benjamin Acorda, Jr. is already covered by the law fixing the term of the PNP chief and other heads of the country’s armed services to three years. Or that PBBM cannot find someone he can have his full trust, thus the need for him to extend Acorda’s term.
If Acorda will, however, retire in accordance with the PNP’s mandated retirement age of 56, then by the middle of December this year a new PNP chief will have to be appointed by the President.
As we have earlier espoused, perhaps endorsements from various sectors of society in Mindanao specifically Davao City where General Dubria comes from, can help boost the Davaoeno official’s chances.
After all, he is one contender who is qualified in all aspects to head the police organization. His track record will bare us out.
We could only imagine how proud can we be if for the first time we have the opportunity to meet General Dubria in person he is already the PNP chief.
