Rama to raise city fiscals' allowances

CEBU, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama still plans to increase the allowances of city fiscals despite the fact that several of them declared themselves as millionaires.

"Don't equate their being millionaires with their right for allowance. Because if you give them additional allowance, you don't have to punish them because they have become millionaires," Rama said.

In the latest Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of state lawyers released by the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas last week, eight city prosecutors have declared their wealth to have reached more than a million as of December last year.

The richest among them is Assistant City Prosecutor Ricky Jones Macabaya who has a total net worth of P10.4 million.

Macabaya is followed by Assistant City Prosecutor Liceria Lofranco-Rabillas with a total net worth of P5.64 million, Assistant City Prosecutor Alexander Acosta with P3.99 million, Assistant City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro with P3.11 million, Assistant City Prosecutor Rudolf Joseph Val Carillo with P2.21 million, Assistant City Prosecutor Raul Cristoria with P2.13 million, Assistant City Prosecutor Alex Gabud with P1.61 million and Assistant City Prosecutor Oscar Capacio with P1.18 million.

 City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez, who is tasked by Rama to make a study and give recommendations on how much the City must give, said that he already has a recommendation pending the approval of the mayor.

His recommendation includes a 100-percent increase on the current allowance given by the city government to City Prosecutor Nicolas Selon while the rest will get a 60-percent increase.

Prosecutors are receiving P5,000-allowance a month regardless of their rank. With the planned increase, Sellon will receive P10,000 monthly allowance while the rest will get P8,000.

Bernaldez, however, clarified that his recommendations are yet to be approved by the mayor.

Rama is also planning to give allowance to the police personnel of the city police office. He said is just waiting for the recommendation from City Police Director Patrocinio Comendador.

Police Officers are receiving P1,000-allowance from the city government. There had been many attempts to grant them further increase in the past but Bernaldez said that Commission on Audit rules are preventing them to do so.

Bernaldez said that the mayor is trying to find other means to give incentives to the police officers.

"They are doing their job in securing peace and order, it's not an easy task. Ang ilang madawat, patas sa ilaha tanan," Rama said. (THE FREEMAN)