Pay without work? DepEd employees demand salary despite yearlong absence

Cotabato City – Like fish easily caught by its mouth, two employees of the Department of Education admitted to non-performance of their duties for an entire year as they demanded to receive salaries they apparently did not earn nor deserve.

In a dialogue with ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman on Thursday, March 30, Nasseb Macabato and Hadji Ali Disomato said that they did not show up for work despite the issuance of a memorandum ordering them to report to the Marawi City divison office.

Pharida Sansarona, division superintendent of Marawi City, was also present in the dialogue and showed documentation that the division was not remiss in calling the attention of the two absentee employees.

However, Macabato and Disoma, despite their yearlong absence from work in Marawi City, managed to show up in Manila to plead their case last March 23 via a radio broadcast.

This wasn’t the first time the employees resorted to a publicity stunt regarding their case as the regional government remains unfazed.

ARMM Department of Education Secretary John Magno issued a statement following this latest attempt to undermine the department’s strict compliance with the law.

While the department recognizes every employee’s right to receive his or her salary promptly, Magno said that “such right is contingent upon his or her faithful compliance with the requirements laid down by law; vis, submission of their daily time records, among others.”

“DepEd-ARMM is mandated to strictly enforce this rule in order to safeguard government funds and prevent damage to the government,” he added.

Eight teachers from different schools in Marawi City who were also demanding for their salary despite non-submission of their daily time records, were also present in the dialogue.

The dispute between the said employees and the regional government is currently the subject of at least seven criminal and/or administrative cases in different courts in the region. (Bureau of Public Information)