Secretary to the Mayor Roger Balo yesterday said the transfer of the General Services Office has the go signal of Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia because of the thrust of his administration to increase revenues and reduce operating expenses.

Balo said GSO officer-in-charge Jose Solilapsi had recommended that the city remove the GSO from the Plaza Mart building after 11 personnel of the Bids and Awards Committee technical working team were transferred to City Hall.

He said the petition opposing the designation of Solilapsi as OIC of the GSO by some employees resulted from the proposed transfer of the GSO to the former office of the Bacolod Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee and to the 4th floor of City Hall.

Balo said he was informed that the list of petitioners included names of persons not assigned to the GSO but to other departments like the Department of Public Services, City Health Office, public cemetery, and printing office. It was a list prepared six months ago yet, he said, adding that he believes there might be a hidden stimuli or stimulus that had pushed them to issue the petition. Solilapsi was designated by Leonardia as OIC of the GSO on Sept. 5, 2005.

The city proposed to rent only half of the present GSO office but the Plaza Mart management did not agree, Balo said, so they were forced to transfer to BaSoc and to the fourth floor of City Hall temporarily. He said the present GSO space will be used until Mar. 31 only so the city can save P37,000 a month in rentals.

Balo said he has instructed Solilapsi to issue a memorandum to his staff and to the Plaza Mart management regarding the transfer. He also called the petitioners yesterday to resolve the problem but they refused to come because, according to them, there is no memorandum, he said.

Balo said they want to put an end to the extravagant lifestyle of the GSO personnel, whose office is four times bigger than his. He said if the personnel of the administrative section of the GSO continue to use their present office even when the Bids and Awards Committee has already been transferred, that can be considered an extravagant lifestyle.

Meanwhile, Balo said GSO head Jerome Solinap has defied the instruction of the Mayor for him to report to the City Mayor's Office. "I was informed that he still holds meetings with the GSO personnel identified with him, without due deference to the officer-in-charge," he said. Up to this time Solinap has not reported to the CMO, so, as far as we are concerned, he is considered "absent without leave," he added.

City Legal Officer Alan Zamora said the city has filed a motion for reconsideration of the order of the Civil Service Commission granting the appeal of Solinap for his reassignment as GSO head.*CGS

back to top