Village chiefs ask Ombuds for help to claim allowances

Philip Zafra

Sixty-four barangay chairpersons in Cebu City signed a letter asking the Ombudsman-Visayas to investigate Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s order to suspend the cash incentives to barangay tanods and garbage loaders.

“With all due respect, we are manifesting our vehement objection to the said memorandum,” read the Feb. 21 letter sent to Deputy Ombudsman-Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente

Councilor Philip Zafra, who heads the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC), said the mayor’s reason that the withdrawal of allowances was due to “budgetary constraints” is “more imagined than real.”

Osmeña said he decided to withdraw the honoraria since some tanods and garbage loaders have been remiss in their duties.

He said they will evaluate their performances and decide if they will continue giving the allowances.

The city gives P4,000 per month per tanod and P5,000 per month per loader.

But Zafra said the city appropriated P115.2 million for incentives to tanods and another P50.4 million for loaders in this year’s budget.

“As regards the claim that certain tanods and loaders have been remiss in their duties and responsibilities, suffice it to say that the rest of the city should not be made to suffer from the negligence of some,” Zafra said.

He said the city government should evaluate all tanods and garbage collectors and deal sanctions on erring personnel after they underwent due process.

“Not the wholesale withdrawal of the honoraria,” Zafra said.

Zafra said a lot of barangays in the city cannot afford to pay their tanods and loaders.

He said these barangays depend on the city government to pay their allowances and ensure the delivery of services to their constituents.

In yesterday’s press conference at his office, Mayor Osmeña said the city is not obligated to give allowances to the tanods and garbage loaders.

“The previous administration has been flooding money to barangay officials, government officials, cars, allowances, junkets, etc. using calamity funds for bonuses and things like that,” Osmeña said.

“The allowances are given only at the mayor’s discretion because it is not obligatory. Just because it’s placed in the budget doesn’t mean we have to spend it,” he said.

Osmeña said he is discussing with his allies if they would restore the allowances or not.

But the mayor said it is not a priority at this time.