Soc opposes move hiking cell phone card allowance

Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernadez has opposed a resolution passed by the city council increasing the cell phone card allowance of its members and City Hall department heads to P5,000.

In his letter to Vice Mayor Aberdovey Belleza and the council, Fernandez said that city accountant Viluzminda Villarante and city budget officer Edgardo Mabunay told him that the resolution might be against the rules of the Commission on Audit.

"I am not so pleased to inform you that after consultation with the City Accountant and the City Budget Officer, they manifested that there is no appropriation for the aforecited and they pre-empted that COA (Commission on Audit) would disapprove it," Fernandez' letter said.

Earlier, Fernandez approved the cell card allowance increase, citing that communication is one of the best tools to reach department heads, public officials, and their constituents.

Last month, the council approved Resolution No.2006-08, authored by Councilor Arturo Bas, increasing their cell card allowance from P2,500 to P5,000, saying that the "privilege" was "reasonable."

The move gained disapproval by some City Hall employees who contended that the councilors easily approve measures for their own benefits while the rank and file workers have continuously been denied of privileges such as the step increments and rice allowance. - Liv G. Campo