3 PWDs file discrimination charges vs. Bacolod officials

MANILA, Philippines — The Bacolod city government faces charges before the Ombudsman from three persons with disability (PWD) for alleged employment discrimination and failure to pay their wages for four months. Online news site Visayan Daily Star (www.visayandailystar.com) reported that three members of the Association of Disabled Persons of Bacolod City filed the case before the Ombudsman Visayas. Lowell Raner, Gilmar Menionuevo and Ismael Solivio also claimed that the P800,000 budget supposedly allocated for persons with disabilities was misappropriated to other projects like the Pamaskua 2007 of the city and repair of the Anti-Mendicancy Service vehicle. According to the complainants, they worked as casual workers at the PWD Computer Resource Center at the Bacolod City Public Library from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2007. They added they coordinated with the city in the implementation of PWD programs and projects while performing their duties at the computer center. But city officials said the complainants had no appointments, and that it was not the city government that hired them. Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago wrote Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia asking him to inform them of the action the city has taken on the matter within five days. - GMANEws.TV