Cotabato City, October 2024 – The Mayor of Cotabato City, Mohammad Ali Matabalao, has issued an official open letter in response to a public statement made by Vice Mayor Johari “Butch” Abu regarding the issue of unpaid contractual employees in the city government.
In his letter, Mayor Matabalao clarified that he never accused the City Council (Sangguniang Panlungsod) of causing delays in the salaries of around 3,000 Contract of Service (COS) and Job Order (JO) workers. Instead, he stated that a request for additional funding, certified by the Local Finance Committee, was submitted on August 28, 2024. This request, according to the mayor, requires the council’s approval and includes funding for the wages of COS and JO workers, as well as other necessary expenses for various city departments.
The mayor emphasized that the issue of fund shortages, including the need for a PhP 75 million budget to cover contractual workers, is not new and happens annually. He stressed that both the Executive and Legislative departments of Cotabato City have previously benefitted from similar fund augmentations, citing that in 2022, the Sangguniang Panlungsod received PhP 25.4 million, PhP 42.2 million in 2023, and PhP 7 million in 2024.
Breakdown of Allocated Funds
To further clarify, Mayor Matabalao provided a detailed breakdown of the allocations and expenditures for various city offices. The report revealed that a total of PhP 97,464,762.56 had been allocated, of which PhP 87,894,869.71 was spent, leaving a balance of PhP 9,569,892.85. He assured the public that there was no hidden information and that the list of employees was readily available, as had been requested by the council multiple times since July 2022.
Addressing Fund Shortages
In response to Vice Mayor Abu’s query about why the salary fund is insufficient, Mayor Matabalao reiterated that budget projections are based on estimated income and expenditures. These estimates often require adjustments during the year, which is why the Executive Department requested additional funding. He noted that this process is not limited to the Executive Department, pointing out that the Office of the Vice Mayor and the council itself had received over PhP 74 million in fund augmentations during the current term.
Mayor Matabalao also highlighted that the salary increase for COS and JO workers is still pending approval by the council, despite the Local Finance Committee submitting the necessary documents. He appealed to the council to approve or disapprove the salary increase and fund augmentation requests promptly.
Allegations of Blocking Department Heads’ Attendance
In response to allegations by Vice Mayor Abu that the mayor had prevented department heads from attending council hearings, Mayor Matabalao firmly denied this claim. He pointed out that department heads had attended hearings and that records and photographs from the council’s own social media posts can verify this. He also clarified that department heads were officially instructed to cooperate with the council.
Appeal to the Council
The mayor ended his letter by appealing to the council to treat the Executive Department’s resource persons with respect during hearings, stressing that raising voices and questioning the competence of department heads has led to feelings of disrespect. He also requested the council to act on the salary increase and fund augmentation requests without further delay, reiterating his commitment to serving the public and resolving the issue in the best interest of Cotabato City.
Mayor Matabalao concluded by expressing his hope for a positive resolution and assured the public that the city government will continue to collaborate with the council on matters of public service, free from political bias.
For the welfare of all Cotabateños, Mayor Matabalao called for transparency, cooperation, and mutual respect between the Executive and Legislative departments as they work to address the pressing concerns of the city.
