Cebu City Council or Alvin Dizon: Help build offices, not allowances for judges

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon has proposed the city government would help the judiciary in constructing the offices that were damaged by the earthquake than giving of allowances to judges.

Dizon said that the giving of allowances to judges might give negative impression to the public in cases involving the city government.

Dizon cited a homeowner for instance filing a case against the city government, the judge might favors the latter who gives him allowances and incentives.

“Of course ang judge mopabor sa city kay naa may gihatag nga allowance,” Dizon said.

 Majority floor leader Margarita Osmeña agreed to Dizon saying that, “you (Dizon) have a valid point. Naa na silay sweldo naa pay allowance.”

 Under the peace and order program, an amount of P120 million is proposed for the allowances and incentives of judiciary and police departments.

 City court judges will get P30, 000 per month; P45,000 for Court of Appeals justices; P15,000 for CA clerks of courts; P35,000 for Regional Trial Court judges; P15,000 for RTC clerks of court; P30,000 for Municipal Trial Court in Cities judges; P15,000 for MTCC clerks of court; P35,000 for PHIJA Coordinator-VisMin; and P2,500 for RTC social workers.

A monthly allowance of P18, 000 was proposed city prosecutors, assistant prosecutors, regional prosecutor and six assistant regional prosecutors. 

 Meanwhile, the proposed monthly allowances for Cebu City Police Officers is P2,000 for CCPO police personnel, maritime police, jail officers assigned at operations second chance and city jail and crime laboratory officers.

 The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director will get P8, 000, NBI executive officer (P7, 000); CCPO director and police superintendent (P8, 000); NBI investigators (P5, 000), two assistants CCPO director (P7, 000), NBI doctor (P5, 000) and eight personnel (P3, 000) and 134 security services P3, 000 to P4, 000).

 There is also a proposed increase of P2,000 for allowances for policemen assigned at the upland barangays in Cebu City and the firemen.

“We have good hearts and good intentions in giving allowances,” Osmena said.

 Osmeña said she doesn’t want to give false hopes to each public servants considering the limited resources of the city government.

 â€œSo kun i-approve ni nato tapos di ra diay nato mahatag, mao kinahanglan ta mag-prioritize. We can approve the budget but we don’t have cash,” Osmena added.— (FREEMAN)