COA flags irregularities in Leyte town’s hiring of job order employees

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COA flags irregularities in Leyte town’s hiring of job order employees
The Commission on Audit says the local government of Hilongos hired job order employees 'without determining its manpower needs'

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) reported several red flags in the hiring of job order employees by the local government of Hilongos in Leyte in 2019.

In a report, state auditors said they found that the municipal government hired 285 job order employees (JOs) or 244% more than its 117 regulars – which cost it P17.04 million.

“The audit team noted that the LGU (local government unit) hired JOs without determining its manpower needs,” COA said. 

Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 states that any LGU should prepare a plan to anticipate the needs of each office, including manpower resources.

 In Hilongos, state auditors found that more than half of the JO employees hired performed clerical and administrative functions that were supposed to be handled by regular employees. Five of them were aged between 65 and 78.

“While their contracts are only good for 3 months, almost all were renewed and some have already stayed in the services for 3 years or more,” COA said.

COA also flagged the discrepancy between the number of hired personnel and the actual people reporting to work as “an example of irregularity.”

Records from the municipality’s Human Resource Management Office showed that only 12 out of the 63 alleged JO hires for the mayor’s office reported to work.

Only 4 out of the 42 listed JO employees reported under the Office of the Municipal Engineer, while 31 out of the supposed 46 worked for the municipality’s environment and sanitary office.

The Hilongos HRMO, however, said that the list was only for payroll purposes and that the “office assignment of job order personnel as stated in their contracts is only to identify which office the JO salary will be charged and not necessarily their actual office assignment.”

The municipal government agreed to fill in vacant regular positions instead of hiring more JOs and to reassess its hiring guidelines, as recommended by COA. – Rappler.com

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