The Sagay City government is currently searching for the missing P7.3 million hazard pay for health workers who served during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a radio interview over the weekend, Sagay City Mayor Narciso Javelosa, Jr. said the city government is now coordinating with legal advisers to determine the next steps in resolving the missing funds.

Javelosa received a letter from doctors, nurses and city health employees requesting the release of their long-overdue hazard pay.

However, upon meeting with them last August 28, he was surprised that the pay had not yet been disbursed, despite the withdrawal of funds.

Javelosa said the P7.3 million hazard pay, also allocated for health workers’ insurance allowance and assistance to senior citizens, is part of the P22 million fund withdrawn by City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) head Juvy Pinongan on August 16.

For her part, Pinongan cited heavy workload as the reason for the delay in releasing the hazard pay.

Javelosa instructed Pinongan to prepare the funds for immediate release.

However, Javelosa became suspicious of Pinongan’s actions when he visited the CTO recently, and demanded the opening of the vaults.

Pinongan opened the smaller vault, which was empty.

She claimed to have forgotten the combination to the larger vault.

Javelosa said he did not believe Pinongan’s claims, given that the treasurer reportedly opens the vault daily for city transactions.

Following the incident, Javelosa sealed and signed the larger vault.

Pinongan returned to the CTO on September 5 after taking her leave of absence./WDJ