CEBU - Although the granting of additional funds for additional members of the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa in barangay Sirao has been approved, councilor Gerardo Carillo still wants to know the number of cases that justified this need.
Carillo and chairman of the Committee on Laws, Ordinances, Public Accountability and Good Government councilor Edgardo Labella first presented their opposing points prior to the committee report’s approval of the proposal.
Carillo questioned why the barangay insists on adding four members to its Lupon when its budget cannot afford it and it will just pass the burden to the city government.
“I am not against its approval but I want to know the number of cases, if there are less cases in barangay Sirao, then why flex your muscles to hire more,” Carillo said. Labella countered that the law provides there should be not less than 10 but not more than 20 members for the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa in each barangay.
He said Cebu City Mayor-on-leave Tomas Osmeña even showed importance to the Lupon when the latter assured subsidizing the allowances of low-earning barangays.
“The Lupons are very significant in declogging the courts,” Labella said.
He mentioned that the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa reportedly solved 27,000 out of the 36,000 conflicts in the barangays last year.
It had also saved those concerned the money and time it will take to bring their cases to court, especially those from the mountain barangays like Sirao.
The committee report was however approved and will be brought back to the floor for its final deliberation and approval.
Carillo hopes that by that time, there will already be data on the number of cases in the said barangay to further justify the augmentation of their budget.
The Lupong Tagapamayapa is a group of 10 or 20 people, selected by the barangay captain to settle disputes he may not be able to for one reason or another.
A panel of three Lupons usually handles each case brought to them.
Lupon Members meet monthly to provide a forum for exchange of ideas among its members and the public on matters relevant to the amicable settlement of disputes, and to enable various conciliation panel members to share with one another their observations and experiences in effecting speedy resolution of disputes.
The Lupon submits data on the barangay disputes and their disposition to the City Monitoring Unit and the local Department of the Interior and Local Government office. — Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP (THE FREEMAN)