After 11 years of waiting, a public school teacher from Guimaras Island can finally receive the correct wage she is entitled to.
Just last March, the Commission on Audit ruled that Josefina Linda Pabraquel, an alternative learning system teacher I in January 2004 in Guimaras’ Nueva Valencia town, is entitled to receive P109,989.20 to compensate her for payment of salary differential after her promotion as teacher II.
Pabraquel was denied her rightful pay grade when she was promoted to teacher II on Sept. 11, 2006 until October 2015.
Records showed Pabraquel as teacher I in January 2004 was deployed as a mobile teacher in Division of Guimaras, Department of Education in Region 6-Western Visayas.
Upon promotion to a higher rank, Pabraquel was supposed to receive a pay grade one level higher but her appointment was recalled by the DepEd Region 6 superintendent on Oct. 2, 2006 despite the approval by the Civil Service Commission on Sept. 13, 2006.
The education department’s Region 6 invoked that its guidelines that mobile teachers for the alternative learning system could only hold a teacher I position.
“She did not receive her salary as teacher II from the date of her promotion on Sept. 11, 2006 until she was integrated to the regional payroll in October 2015, with the salary of a teacher II,” CoA's Commission Proper decision read.
To back her position, Pabraquel persented her complete daily time records from September 2006 to July 2015, certificate of her appointment to Teacher II, oath of office, service record, notices of salary adjustments and schedule of salary differentials.
The CoA maintained that its Revised Administrative Code of 1987, an appointment accepted by the appointee cannot be withdrawn or revoked by the appointing authority and shall remain in force until disapproved by the Civil Service Commission.
“After a careful evaluation, this Commission finds the petition for money claim impressed with merit. The appointment of Ms. Pabraquel cannot be recalled or revoked. Therefore, when Ms. Pabraquel assumed the position of teacher II, she acquired a legal right to the position,” CoA ruled.
The commission directed DepEd Region 6 to compensate Pabraquel with the correct differential pay.