SENIOR citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Cebu City will have to wait longer for the second tranche of financial assistance for this year.
The Cebu City government has put on hold the distribution of about P121 million in financial assistance to more than 60,000 registered senior citizens and P12 million to 12,000 PWDs while officials check with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) whether this is covered by the election ban.
The assistance was scheduled in April, which is well within the election period. For their second tranche, senior citizens are supposed to receive P2,000 each while PWDs will receive P1,000 each.
Cebu City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas said they have also asked Comelec whether the incentives programmed for distribution to the barangays are also covered by the election ban.
“I wrote a letter to Comelec (to inquire). DILG (Department of Interior and Local Governance) niingon man gud only the local chief executive maoy maka-determine what is essential. If the mayor will say that the assistance unya covered siya sa election ban, dili g’yud mi kahatag,” she said.
Cebu City north district election officer Marchel Sarno said they have received the letter from Cuevas but they have yet to review the scope of the election ban.
“We need to review. If that is considered ordinary or common expense of the city, then that will be exempted from the election ban,” he said.
The financial assistance to senior citizens and PWDs is in the city’s annual budget.
Sarno said they will send a recommendation to Comelec Manila, which will eventually rule on the matter.