ABC wants personnel in CH accounting office

CEBU, Philippines - The Association of Barangay Councils wants to detail personnel at the Cebu City Accounting Office to assist the barangays in the processing of disbursement vouchers for barangay transactions.

The accounting office, however, would not agree because only casual employees are allowed to work at the said office. The ABC did not have casual employees because it was previously regarded as a non-government organization.

It was only recently that the Civil Service Commission declared that the ABC is a government organization. ABC President Michael Ralota said he would have wanted to upgrade the status of their personnel from Job Orders to casual so that they can detail some of them at the accounting office.

However, Ralota said they could not also do it because of lack of funds since upgrading the status requires additional benefits for the personnel. He said they do not have enough funds to pay for the benefits since some of their members have not paid their dues.

Another problem is the alleged objection of the accounting office to their request.

Ralota said he does not see the reason why the accounting office is oppose to it when their purpose is only to help the barangays. Most barangays complained against the accounting verifiers over the delay in the processing of vouchers.

Barangay treasurers lamented that the verifiers, who examines the completeness of their disbursement vouchers, suspend their vouchers due to lacking requirements but do not give them all the lacking requirements altogether so they have to go back several times.

Ralota said that the ABC personnel that he wants to detail at the accounting office would only assist the barangays in ensuring that all requirements are present before it is submitted to the verifiers.

Through this, the ABC personnel will be able to spot the lacking requirements firsthand and will be able to easily call the barangay concerned.– (FREEMAN)