BLUE CHRISTMAS

DBM nixes Capitol’s 10% salary increase

 

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

 

ILOILO Capitol employees are facing a bleak Christmas after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) thumbed down the appropriation ordinance allocating some P37 million for their 10 percent salary increase and other benefits.

 

In a letter to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, DBM Secretary Rolando Andaya declared Appropriations Ordinance 2008-02 as inoperative in its entirety.

 

Andaya based his decision on the fact that the Iloilo provincial government is operating on the 2007 reenacted budget after the DBM also declared as inoperative AOs 2008-01-a, which pertains to the 2008 annual budget,  and 2008-01-b involving the Internal Revenue Allocation development fund.

 

Citing the implementing rules and regulations of the Local Government Code, Andaya said no ordinance authorizing supplemental appropriations shall be passed in place of annual appropriations.

 

“Inasmuch as AO No. 2008-02 provides supplemental appropriations, it may not be allowed in the absence of the Fiscal Year 2008 annual budget of the province,” Andaya said.

 

But the provincial government can still implement the 10 percent increase embodied in Local Budget Circular No. 88, the DBM chief said.

 

How?

 

“In this case, the remedy of the province to provide for the 10 percent increase in salary and associated benefits of its officials and employees from July 1 to December 31, 2008 is to include the same in the new FY 2008 annual budget of the province that is in conformity with this Department’s review findings under letters dated June 18, 2008 and June 30, 2008, or through a supplemental budget after the enactment of the aforementioned annual budget,” Andaya said.

 

Provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada said they will follow the suggestion of the DBM by submitting the 2008 executive budget, which will include appropriations for the 10 percent salary increase, to the SP.

 

“It is now up to the Sanggunian to act if ever the 2008 budget is submitted for their deliberation and approval. In the spirit of Christmas and New Year, we appeal to Vice Governor Rolex Suplico to cooperate and give what is due to the Capitol employees. If the vice governor remains adamant, maybe our board members can decide in favor of the welfare of our workers,” Mejorada said.

 

Mejorada said Governor Niel Tupas Sr. and provincial budget officer Elena Lim went to the DBM central office in Metro Manila to find ways to implement the increase.

 

He added that aside from the salary increase, the new 2008 proposed budget will include cash gifts for barangay service point officers, barangay health workers and other volunteer workers.       

 

Suplico declined to comment as he has not received an official copy of the DBM letter.

 

“I will first wait for the official copy to reach my office and study the points raised by Secretary Andaya which became the basis for his decision to declare the ordinance inoperative,” Suplico said.  

CAPITOL WORKERS HOLD PICKET TODAY

Who are the biggest losers in the Iloilo capitol budget deadlock? The workers and the common Ilonggo

Employees demand 10% salary hike

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

ILOILO provincial government employees are set to hold a picket today to protest the impassé between the executive and legislative departments on their 10 percent salary increase.

Capitol employees reached by The Daily Guardian said they will hold the picket if Governor Niel Tupas Sr. and his nephew Vice Governor Rolex Suplico do not grant the increase. The employees said they are adversely affected by the political squabble between the two officials.

The salary increase is embodied in Executive Order 719 issued by President Gloria Arroyo recently. The implementation of the increase is laid out in Local Budget Circular (LBC) No. 88 issued by the Department of Budget and Management.

The lockout worsened when Tupas threatened to veto the SP’s appropriation ordinance (AO) setting aside more than P37 million for the salary hike.

Instead of approving Supplemental Budget (SB) No. 1-2008 proposed by the governor, Suplico last week broached the approval of an AO for the salary increase based on LBC No. 88.

Another AO, which is set to be approved today, will grant limited authority to Tupas to use the savings in the monthly operating expenses for the food expenses of Iloilo Rehabilitation Center inmates amounting to P4.9 million.

Aside from the appropriation ordinance, the SP is also set to pass a resolution urging Tupas to submit the 2008 executive budget for the remaining part of the year.

The other provisions of SB No. 1 such as additional funds for fuel of the provincial truck team and allowances of volunteer workers in barangays were scrapped.

Suplico said approving SB No. 1 is a serious violation of the law as the Local Government Code prohibits the passage of supplemental budgets in the absence of a new annual budget.

“We are operating under the reenacted 2007 budget, how can we approve a supplemental budget? That is a serious legal violation,” Suplico said.

Provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada said Suplico’s proposal does not comply with the requirements of the Local Government Code and should be deemed illegal.

“Vice Governor Suplico proposed an appropriation measure based on Local Budget Circular No. 88, not on the basis of the request for supplemental budget submitted by Governor Tupas, contrary to what the law says” Mejorada said.

Atty. Salvador Cabaluna III, provincial legal officer, said provincial officials and employees are not likely to get their 10-percent increases retroactive to July 1, 2008 until a valid ordinance is enacted by the Sanggunian.

Cabaluna said that Section 318 of the Local Government Code vests the power to determine the executive budget on the chief executive, or the governor in this case.

“The Sanggunian, on its own, cannot appropriate funds unless there is a request from the governor, and backed by a certification of availability of funds by the Provincial Treasurer,” Cabaluna said.

“The power of the Sanggunian is only to give legislative authorization for the appropriation, nothing more, nothing less,” he said.

Because of this, Cabaluna said that the ordinance will necessarily have to be vetoed by Governor Tupas.

Capitol employees said they will wear black armbands when they attend the SP regular session today.

“We want to protest and urge our officials to sue for peace and look after our welfare. We are not siding with anyone except us ordinary employees,” a capitol worker said.