DUMAGUETE CITY (PNA) – The services of 460 casual and job order employees of the local government unit (LGU) of Valencia, Negros Oriental were terminated effective Tuesday after the Valencia municipal council failed to pass its 2010 annual executive budget.

Valencia Mayor Rodolfo Gonzalez, Jr. lamented Monday that the delayed passage of the new budget, from which the salaries of these employees are to be charged, was “intentional and malicious,” apparently to stave off the implementation of new projects calendared for this year.

He said he believes his political opponents are behind the move to slow down the implementation of these projects, fearing that he will use them to boost his candidacy as Vice Mayor in the May 2010 polls.

Gonzalez said he had no choice but to give notice of termination to the workers during last Monday morning’s flag ceremony.

The Mayor, saddened by what he describes as an alleged politically-tainted move, said he has even recommended flying the Philippine flag at half mast at the municipal hall as a symbol of grieving for the hundreds affected by the mass lay-off.

“It is below the belt; a serious matter that would jeopardize the local government’s operations at the expense of these workers,” he said.

Gonzalez noted that the town council, with Vice Mayor Diodoro Olasiman sitting as Presiding Officer, had enough time to deliberate on the proposed estimated P160-million budget that was submitted to the body on September 8, 2009.

“I do not see any justifiable reason to delay the passage of the 2010 budget,” he said.

However, in a recent meeting with the Vice Mayor and Councilor Romeo Alviola, Finance Committee Chairman, the Valencia town mayor said he was told the council failed to act on the new budget as there are still issues and questions to be resolved.

Olasiman had assured him that the proposed budget would be passed during the council’s regular session last January 7 but as it turned out, the council did not even take up the budget in that session, Gonzalez said.

He cited Section 323 of the Local Government Code that mandates the municipal council to hold special sessions without additional compensation to specifically discuss the budget and have it passed before or at the start of the year, but the Valencia town council has not called for a special session for this purpose.

In fact, added Gonzalez, if it wanted to, the town council could have called for a special session Wednesday or anytime this week to fast-track the deliberation and passage of the budget.

He said he intends to file a complaint soonest, possibly for neglect of duty, if the town council still fails to act on the budget.

The mayor said that in the absence of a new budget, the town of Valencia will be operating on a re-enacted budget from last year amounting to some P155 million. However, he pointed out that his amount does not include the salaries of casual and job order workers who are project-based.

This is the first-time ever for Valencia to operate on a re-enacted budget in the almost 10 years that Gonzalez, who will step down in June this year, has served as town mayor.

Majority of those affected by the mass lay-offs are assigned to the Agriculturist’s Office and the Waterworks Department.

The mayor said that if a local government is operating on a re-enacted budget, only casual employees holding essential positions shall be recommended for retention.

Waterworks Supervisor Conrado Dinampo said he is seeking the retention of 11 people affected by the lay-off as they are in charge of maintenance work in seven critical water sources.

Dinampo said if all of the 37 casual and job order workers under him are terminated, operations of the town’s waterworks systems will be paralyzed.

Workers who have lost their jobs are planning to stage a prayer rally and protest mass action in the coming days.

As of press time, Vice Mayor Olasiman and Councilor Alviola were not available for comment.

Both Olasiman and Councilor Ricky Gonzalez, Jr., the mayor’s younger brother, are contesting the mayoralty seat in the May polls.