SUMMER JOBS
City gov’t mulls hiring over 2,000 students

By LORENZO DELA CERNA

CEBU City – The city government is planning to hire some 2,000 students for its summer job program before the campaign period for local candidates starts.

Last year, city hall hired only 600 students.

Businessman Jonathan Guardo, however, suspects that the hiring has something to do with the elections. It could be indirect vote-buying, he warned.

But Department of Interior and Local Government 7 (DILG-7) Legal Division chief Atty. Danilo Almendras told Panay News that the summer job program of the city government is the regular project every summer.

Almendras also said the hiring of students may not fall under the prohibition specified by the Commission on Elections on “hiring during election day.”

“Nagkataon lang na election ngayon," Almendras said.

He, however, stressed that the hiring has limitations. The local government should spend for the program not exceeding 45 percent of the Personal Service Expenses budget in the case of municipalities. In the case of cities, it must not be over 55 percent of the same budget.

DILG-7 Director Dr. Pedro Noval Jr. echoed Almendras’ view. The hiring of students could be done for as long as the purpose is public service, he stressed.

But Noval warned candidates not to utilize the summer job workers for their campaign activities./PN