Not long after Justice Secretary Leila de Lima rescinded her order prohibiting prosecutors from receiving allowances from local government units (LGUs), along came a complaint that Talisay City Mayor Johnny delos Reyes “neglecting” to release the allowances of Talisay City prosecutors, judges and court employees.
The allowances for April are still in the treasurer’s office with no sign of being released.
When Cebu Daily News asked him about it last Monday, May 11, the mayor said it was the first time he had heard there was a delay. He promised to ask his son, Talisay City Administrator John Yre delos Reyes, to look into it.
Before end of the 5 p.m. workday, the mayor said he had settled the matter; he ordered his son to immediately release the allowances “aron wa nay daghan istorya (so there won’t be any more stories).”
If not for the pointed query from the media, would the checks have been released? Justice staffers don’t believe this was a case of red tape or a clerk’s absent-mindedness.
The delay roused suspicions by prosecutors like Marshal Rubia, who were following up their allowances at the City Treasurer’s Office.
The mayor had been smarting from the arson case filed by the former Talisay City police chief against him. The case was pending in the prosecutor’s office.
“Sa akong tan-aw, katong arson nga gi-file, wala man toy umoy pero ila gihapong gitagaan og kabug-aton. Dali-dali kaayo ang pagkiha nga mura’g naa silay interes nako (In my view, the arson case had no basis but they still gave it weight. The filing of charges was so swift, it seems like they have a special interest in me),” said the mayor.
Was Mayor JVR sending a signal?
This kind of lament exemplifies why the practice of LGUs giving allowances to judges and prosecutors is a double-edged sword. While it is welcome financial relief to the beneficiaries, who struggle with modest government salaries, it places them in a situation where they can be pressured to compromise.
The decision to extend a monthly allowance is made by an elected official, who can change his mind when it suits him, specifically when he is the subject of a pending case to be decided by a local court or prosecutor. He can yank the chain.
How will that affect the beneficiary who has come to expect the allowance as part of his monthly budget in these hard times? In Talisay, the amount is P3,000 to P7,000 a month.
If the Filipino trait of “utang na loob” doesn’t get in the way, then the reluctance to bite the hand that feeds will surely come to play.
It’s sad to see judges and justice workers being made to beg or lobby for supplementary allowances from an LGU. Once the allowance is given, they should presume it is given with no strings attached.