More than 70 employees of Barangay Payatas in Quezon City staged a protest at the barangay hall to condemn what they described as an illegal and baseless termination from their posts, some of which they have held for over a decade. DZRH Val Gonzales reported.

According to Barangay Kagawad Darwin P. Zepeda, the workers were surprised on January 5, the first working day of the year, when they were informed that they were no longer part of the barangay workforce.

Barangay Chairman Rascal D. Doctor reportedly said the employees’ contracts ended on December 31, a move Zepeda argued should have undergone proper due process.

"Nalulungkot po ako pagpatak po ng January ito na po ang nangyare, bigla na lamang po nagkaroon ng pagtatanggal sa ating mga empleyado," a barangay official said.

Those dismissed include nine members of the Lupong Tagapamayapa, 32 traffic enforcers, and 29 fire brigade personnel, positions considered vital to barangay operations. One of the dismissed Lupon members claimed the decision was made unilaterally by the barangay chairman without due process.

The affected employees insist that under the Local Government Code of the Philippines, barangay workers cannot be removed without the approval of the barangay council. They plan to elevate the issue to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).