Hike in per diems for LGU officials sought

TACLOBAN CITY ,Philippines  - Governors and mayors in Eastern Visayas have agreed it was about time for government to raise their daily allowances for out-of-town official functions.

This matter came out during the Tapatan Forum on PNoy's Full Disclosure Policy held in this city recently with DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero.

Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo of Dolores town in Eastern Samar started the issue when she commented about her experience during a conference she attended in Manila in the past.

She said a mayor is only allowed P800 a day board and lodging allowance during official travels, an amount she told Panadero as practically and ridiculously low.

What was worse was that she could not officially charge the expenses of her security detail to her town's money because they were not recognized official participants to the event she attended.

Since she could not spend her own money all the time, she said she asked her treasurer what to do about it. She was reportedly told: "There are many ways to kill a cat," for which she snapped back at her, "But that's graft and corruption." 

Villacarillo told the forum that government regulations could even make politicians corrupt.

Panadero responded by suggesting that the mayors' league should make a position paper for this and immediately submit it to the House appropriations committee, which is now starting deliberating on next year's budget.