Cebu City probes 8 JOs accused of falsifying DTRs

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CEBU City Hall is currently investigating eight job order (JO) employees for allegedly falsifying their daily time records (DTRs), following an incident where security personnel caught four workers carrying multiple timekeeping cards.

The irregularity was uncovered by the Civil Security Unit (CSU) in January while employees were waiting in line at the City Hall lobbies.

CSU Executive Director Ariel Yburan reported that the security staff found four employees holding additional time cards that belonged to colleagues who had briefly stepped away.

The CSU has filed an incident report with the city administrator, the Human Resource and Development Office (HRDO), and the Office of the Mayor, urging immediate action.

HRDO head Henry Tomalabcad confirmed that the eight individuals involved have all received memorandums.

He stressed that this was their first offense but warned that any future violations could result in suspension or dismissal.

Tomalabcad also expressed concern that if JO employees are engaging in timekeeping fraud, the issue might be widespread among casual and regular staff members as well.

The vulnerability in City Hall’s attendance monitoring system has been highlighted, with JO employees still relying on manual DTRs rather than the more secure biometric login system.

According to Tomalabcad, the biometric system is currently limited to regular employees.

Yburan noted that CSU personnel face difficulties in overseeing attendance across all City Hall offices.

Some departments, like the City Health Department and Fort San Pedro, lack security staff, making them more prone to potential time fraud.

The CSU itself is stretched thin, with only 21 members covering three shifts, limiting their ability to monitor timekeeping effectively.

Many employees who follow strict schedules have voiced frustration over the issue, feeling that those engaging in fraudulent practices are creating an unfair work environment. These workers follow the rules, while others take advantage of the system without facing consequences.

City officials are investigating the full scope of the situation and plan to implement more stringent measures, including enhanced surveillance and stricter enforcement, to curb further abuses.

This latest controversy came after a similar incident in June 2024, when Mayor Raymond Garcia, then an Acting Mayor, all biometric exemptions after reports surfaced that a department head was receiving a full salary without attending work.

Garcia later clarified that exemptions could still be granted with appropriate justification, but this new discovery underscores ongoing concerns over attendance fraud within the city government.(MyTVCebu)