City Legal Officer Joseph Bernaldez | Gerard Vincent Francisco
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Financial assistance for senior citizens, barangay tanods, and barangay workers from several government projects in the Cebu City will have to be put on hold until the city government can get an exemption from the Commission on Election (Comelec) from its ban on disbursements for the duration of the election period.
Lawyer Jason Tirol, Cebu City accountant, said in a press briefing on Friday, April 5, that these kinds of financial assistance would be considered disbursements because these came from the city’s social services.
“Dili siya pwede idisburse if wala tay authority from Comelec (We cannot disiburse them if we do not have the authority from the Comelec) said Tirol.
He also said that the city government had requested for a certificate of exemption from the Comelec through the City Legal Office.
Lawyer Joseph Bernaldez, acting City Legal officer, said that he believed that the approval of the request for an exemption would be given quickly, because the projects involved were merely continuing projects.
“Basta nasugdan na gani ang project, before the ban, continuous siya. Ang buhaton nimo is imo na ingnan ang Comelec,” said Bernaldez.
(If the project has started before the ban, it is considered a continuous project. What we need to do is inform the Comelec that this project started before the election ban.)
In the meantime, Bernaldez said that the city government would comply with the Comelec’s rules while waiting for the approval of the request for exemption from the disbursement ban.
“In the meantime, it would be prudent nga ihold usa kay wala pa may approval,” said Bernaldez.
(In the meantime, it would be prudent to put these projects on while waiting for the Comelec approval of the city government’s request for an exemption of the ban.)/dbs