Where’s allowance for communication?

Where’s allowance for communication?

MEMBERS of the Cebu City Council yesterday grilled the General Services Office (GSO) for not releasing the communication allowance of Team Rama councilors.

Their communication allowance, which amounts to P5,000 per month, is included in the P6-million approved budget this year for mobile expenses. But Councilor Joel Garganera said they have not received their benefit since they assumed office.

“It has been five months and we’re still not able to avail (of it). Is this service only given to the privileged or those who are close to the mayor?” he asked GSO chief Ronald Malacora.

Garganera said he wrote a letter to Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella when he was the acting mayor about the communication allowance, but the GSO returned it and asked him to write another letter addressed to Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Malacora said he has not received Garganera’s letter. But he said Osmeña issued an executive order stating that all requests for allowances need his approval.

“There is a standing order. I can only process the payment if it has the mayor’s prior approval. I only abide by what has been ordered by the Office of the Mayor,” he said.

Benefit

Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, however, said the members of the legislative body are automatically entitled to the communication allowance as it is part of their benefit as elected officials.

“We don’t have to ask for an authorization. Your office is supposed to facilitate transaction, not to hinder transaction,” she said.

Garganera asked Malacora if the councilors are not entitled to receive the allowance. The latter said the allowance can be given to anybody but he is only following the directive of the mayor.

Since he became a public official in 1998, Pesquera said it never happened until now that the councilor’s benefits have been denied.

She said there was even an opposition bloc in the past years but their benefits due to them were given.

Pesquera said a permission from the mayor is only needed if one goes beyond the P5,000 limit for the mobile phone allowance.

“We are not asking for more. We just asking for what is just,” she told Malacora.

GSO is asking for another P6 million budget for mobile expenses under the executive departments proposed P7.2-billion annual budget next year.

Malacora said he will take note of the concerns raised by the councilors.

“Kung dili gani, aw i-zero na lang nato para

kuridas tanan (If that’s the case, let’s not have any allowance for everybody),” Pesquera said in jest.

Pesquera, chairperson of the council’s committee on budget and finance, led the continuation of the budget hearing for the proposed annual budget next year.

GSO, who defended their budget yesterday, is asking for a total appropriation of P463.4 million.

In a related development, the council asked GSO to talk with the Visayan Electric Co. (Veco) so they can reduce the rate it imposes on the City’s electricity.

GSO is proposing a P180 million budget for electricity expenses next year, the biggest item in their proposed budget.

Garganera yesterday asked why the electricity expenses of the City is big when some of the street- lights have been replaced with light emitting diode (LED).

Malacora said they found out the City is still paying P11 million to P13 million a month for the streetlights despite the use of LED lights.

But Pesquera said the reason the bill is the same is that the City is paying a flat rate, thus, GSO should negotiate with Veco.

She also asked Veco to conduct an audit of City’s posts.

Malacora said he will take into consideration the council’s suggestion.