"Unity" with Garcia to save PB's pork ? Magpale

CEBU, Philippines – Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale admitted that "unity" with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia is the only way to save their Legislative Assistance Fund, local version of pork barrel, and staff who are threatened of losing their jobs due to outsourcing policy of the Capitol.

Magpale recognized that some executive functions delegated to the legislative department are just political accommodations from the executive department.

"We have no executive functions. Just an accommodation from the executive. If magka hiusa lang, this accommodation mabalik tingale," Magpale said.

Section 465 of the Local Government Code provides that the Governor shall exercise general supervision and control over all programs, projects, services, and activities of the provincial government.

She entrusted whatever legal matters to the "legal mind" of some of her colleagues as there are legal provisions others are citing.    

Some PB members have expressed fears they might lose some of their legislative staff to outsourced personnel under the new structure in Garcia's proposed 2011 budget.

The budget for the casual and non-regular legislative staff has been transferred from the PB to the Office of the Governor through a new item called "General Administration Support Services Program."

PB members are expected to tackle the new item under the Governor's Office in today's regular session while the P3.09 billion Capitol Annual Budget is still pending before the PB committee on budget and appropriations.

For Sanchez, the transfer of the funds to the governor's office in the proposed budget is simply an indication that the personnel will be outsourced.

In the 2010 budget, each board member and the vice governor's office had their own budget for casual legislative staff. However, the entire amount allocated to the PB was taken and lumped into a P63-million item called General Support Services Program under the Office of the Governor in next year's proposed budget.

The LAF was also taken out and lumped as a P100-million item called provincial development fund under the governor's office.

It was PB Member Alex Binghay who first raised the issue on the tenure of their employees during last week's budget hearing.

During the hearing, PB Member Jose Ribomaphil Holganza Jr. asked budget officer Emie Gingoyon whether funding from the Office of the Governor is legal since the ordinance covering the positions was placed under the Provincial Board Members and the Vice Governor.

Gingoyon said that Ordinance 99-08 covering the positions were confusing since casuals and contractual are not positions in the government but a status of employment. It is for this reason that they are using the general rules of the Department of Budget and Management and the Civil Service Commission that the appointing powers belonged to the governor. During the hearing, Gingoyon assured the Board Members that the salaries, benefits and the same number of legislative staff would be honored in the 2011 budget. (FREEMAN)