Fired employees dispute ‘poor performance’ claims

Terminated Rota municipal office employees disputed the claim of Rota mayor Benjamin Manglona that they were laid off partly due to their “poor performance.”

“Poor performance? What does he say about my employee of the year award in 2004?” asked project development officer Larry John “Bradlee” T. Atalig in an interview Saturday.

Atalig is one the seven municipal employees who were given non-renewal notice earlier this month.

Likewise, project development officer Daniel Rangamar Jr., whose termination takes effect on Sept. 30 this year, said he received work-related awards in the last two years.

He said that in 2003, he was given an employee of the year recognition while in 2004, he was honored as “employee of the year for leadership.”

The two staff members believe that Manglona is “just making excuses to justify his politicking.”

“Our non-renewal is political. One time, he told me that those people who follow him will march forward, and those who don’t will march backward,” said Atalig.

Rangamar claimed that the mayor would ask the employees to attend political gatherings for independent mayoral candidate Victor B. Hocog.

“It’s like a roll call but I never went there,” said Rangamar.

The seven terminated employees are believed to be supporters of the Republican Party.

Mayor Manglona supports the candidates of the opposition party.

Other employees who will lose their jobs after this month are account clerk Merelyn B. Ogo, administrative officer Mary Carleen O. Atalig, community workers Joaquina L. King and Antonia B. Reynolds, and school aide Shelby C. Rangamar.

Mary Carleen O. Atalig is reportedly the wife of the Republican Party’s mayoral candidate Ben Atalig and Reynolds is her mother.

King is the chair of the Rota Republican Women Organization, while Larry John Atalig is the vice chair of the Rota Republican Youth Organization.

In an interview on Saipan Friday, Mayor Manglona vehemently denied the accusation that politics motivated the terminations.

He said they were based “on good judgment.”

He said his decision was due to budgetary constraints and the alleged poor work performance of the concerned employees.

“It’s not in my character to fire people for political reasons. I don’t use those tools. Before, I would be asked to fire some people, but I never did it. I make decisions based on my long years of experience as a leader,” said the mayor.