On October 17, 2024, lawmakers from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into the recent termination of approximately 3,000 contract of service employees by the Cotabato City Government. The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Members of Parliament Atty. Suharto M. Ambolodto, Baintan Ampatuan, Susana Anayatin, and Eddie Alih introduced Resolution No. 646, urging the Committee on Local Government (CLG) to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation.
The resolution was prompted by Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao’s announcement that the terminations were necessary due to the City Council’s failure to approve the Executive Department’s proposal for a salary increase for these workers. The lawmakers aim to investigate the reasons behind this mass termination and address the underlying issues to prevent such occurrences in the future.
MP Teng Ambolodto emphasized the importance of understanding the root cause of the problem and taking legislative action to resolve the situation. The inquiry is expected to shed light on the challenges faced by the Cotabato City Government and help formulate solutions to safeguard the rights of contract employees moving forward.
