Election officers want increase in allowance

CEBU, Philippines – The election officers in Cebu City are requesting the city government for an increase in their monthly allowance after learning that the city recently increased the allowance of the city prosecutors.

From their P5,000 monthly allowance, the election officers want theirs to be equal to that of chief city prosecutor Nicolas Sellon who is now receiving P12,000 per month.

Atty. Marchel Sarno and Edwin Cadungog, election officers of the Commission on Election north and south district, respectively, wrote a letter to Mayor Michael Rama last month, appealing to grant them the same increase as they are also heads of their offices.

Sarno and Cadungog are also recipients of allowance extended by the city government.

Others who are receiving allowance from the city are the justices of the Court of Appeals in the city with a P45,000 monthly stipend, Regional Trial Court with a P35,000 monthly allowance, Municipal Trial Court judges who receives P30,000 monthly, the National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas whose director and executive officers are receiving a monthly stipend of P8,000 and P7,000 respectively while the rest receive P5,000 a month.

Clerks of court also receive P8,000 and all the 32 prosecutors are receiving P10,000 monthly.

Since the city provided stipend to judges, numerous requests come to the city hall from different agencies asking for allowance.

There is the Public Attorney's Office who are requesting P10,000 a month and the commissioners of the National Labor Relations Commission 7th Division who are also knocking on the city's doors for an amount it did not specified in its request.

Recently, there was the Parole and Probation Administration in Region 7.

City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete said that all requests are being studied. They are looking at the financial capability of the city to accommodate additional expenses.

He said as for the case of Comelec, he is checking with the Budget Officer if it has an allocation.

Poblete said that the city might only accommodate based on availability of funds or an existing allocation so they do not have to pass another Supplemental Budget.

"Ang sulti sa budget officer, tanawon kung naa'y ma-augment," Poblete said.

Comelec officers' allowance are included in the city's annual budget where they get an allocation of P60,000 per year.

Aside from increase in allowance, Comelec is requesting the city one vehicle for its operations.  (FREEMAN)