ABC asks Ombud’s help in release of honorarium

Officials of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in Cebu City yesterday asked the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to help in the release of honorarium and wages of workers from various barangays in the city.

The ABC board of directors, led by Tisa Barangay Captain Phillip Zafra, met with representatives from the Mayor’s Office, the legal and treasurer’s office and a Visayas-Ombudsman’s mediator.

“The dialogue aimed to settle issues and to enlighten us about the process (in releasing the honorarium),” Zafra told SunStarCebu.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña reportedly stopped the release of the financial assistance to barangay workers, including garbage load- ers, tanods, barangay health workers, and lupon tagapamayapa.

Zafra said City Hall refused to release the honorarium due to lack of documents and appropriations.

But the village workers said they have complied with all the requirements, said Zafra. The requirements include certification stating the services rendered, daily time record and accomplishment report. The barangay personnel receive their honorarium based on the village’s internal revenue allotment.

After the dialogue with the ombudsman mediator, which lasted for about an hour, Zafra said that representatives from the mayor’s office assured to process the release of the honorarium of the barangay workers who rendered services before Feb. 1, 2017.

The mayor earlier issued a memorandum stopping the release of financial assistance to various barangay personnel effective Feb. 1 due to budgetary constraints.

But barangay workers who rendered services after Feb. 1 will be subjected to verification and their honorarium may be included in the supplemental budget.

“We are asking that the City should continually give financial assistance to these workers, especially that they are performing a very essential functions in the barangay,” Zafra said.

Officials from the mayor’s office and the legal and finance offices also attended yesterday’s dialogue.