City fails to give allowance to cops

CEBU, Philippines -  More than 1,000 policemen, intelligence agents and maritime police have not received their P2,000 monthly allowance from the Cebu City Hall since August because the budget has been used up and no additional appropriation has been passed.

The Office of the Mayor proposed a budget of P25.8 million for the monthly allowance of police personnel of the Cebu City Police Office including the National Bureau of Intelligence agents and Maritime Police.

Philip Zafra, officer-in-charge of the Peace and Order Program, said the amount covers their allowance for the whole year.

However, only P14.3 million was approved by the council.

The budget for the allowance of police personnel last year was P21.4 million.

Police personnel used to receive P1,000 allowance from the city until Mayor Michael Rama doubled it in 2010 upon the request of the police.

Zafra said the P14.3 million budget approved this year only lasted until July.

The city can no longer give the allowance from August to December because it does not have another source of fund for it.

Zafra said another reason the budget was immediately used up is the increase in the number of policemen assigned in CCPO as compared to the previous years.

The Office of the Mayor is currently drafting supplemental budget 3 for the bonuses of the city hall employees this Christmas and the allowance for the police might be included.

Rama said he hopes the Local Finance Committee will be able to submit it to the council during the session next week.

Apart from the employees’ bonus, they might also include in the proposed budget some statutory obligations.  (FREEMAN)