MANDAUE TOURISM EMPLOYEES FACE PROBE

Mayor says no one from the tourism department is authorized to collect payments as it is the job of the City Treasurer’s Office.

City Hall to name concerned workers and the amount involved once lawyers of the City Legal Office finish their investigation.

Several personnel of the tourism department of the Mandaue City Government are being investigated for allegedly receiving payments without issuing receipts.

Mayor Luigi Quisumbing said that a private citizen called the government complaint hotline 8888 about the matter.

Quisumbing said the tourism department is not authorized to receive payments as that is the job of the City Treasurer’s Office.

“I would be very disappointed if this is proven to be true,” he said.

The mayor, however, was mum on how many personnel are being investigated by the City Legal Office and how much is the amount involved. He said he will disclose the matter once the City’s lawyers finish their investigation.

As this developed, Quisumbing replaced the tourism department’s officer-in-charge Josephus Bihag with Atty. Giovanni Tianero, former chief of the City Budget Office.

City Administrator Atty. Danilo Almendras said they decided to replace Bihag since his position is administrative aide III but he has a huge responsibility in running the office.

“Actually, it is not fair for him ba nga ang iyang official item, iyang official position, ubos bitaw unya his job is dako kaayo ang scope and he is not being paid the right pay for that position,” he said.

Almendras said that Bihag was reassigned to the General Services Office.

As for Tianero’s new assignment, Almendras said it is because there is a plan to merge the tourism department and the investment promotion office. They believe Tianero is fit for the position.