Fiscal Castro wants allowance from city

CEBU, Philippines – Assistant city prosecutor Mary Ann Castro yesterday went to City Hall to demand the release of the allowance she was allegedly deprived of receiving, amounting to over P130,000.

In a letter to Mayor Michael Rama, Castro asked for the reinstatement and payment of her monthly P5,000 allowance covering the period from April 16, 2005 to June 30, 2007 that reached exactly P132,500.

Castro is seeking the approval of Rama for the City Accounting Office to release the payment.

She attached in her letter a photocopy of a letter allegedly from former mayor Tomas Osmeña to the accounting office issued last June 13, 2007 where Osmeña advised the accountant that he has already lifted his previous order disallowing Castro from receiving her monthly allowance.

"This is to advise you that I have lifted my previous Order disallowing Pros. Mary Ann T. Castro of her monthly City Allowance. She is therefore entitled to receive her monthly allowance from the time it was withheld from her," reads the letter with bears Osmeña's signature.

Osmeña suspended Castro's allowance in 2005 after receiving several complaints regarding the latter's alleged questionable deals and cases.

City administrator Jose Mari Poblete said that they have to verify first the authenticity of the letter because what was furnished to them was just a photocopy.

Poblete was asked by the mayor to study the case and determine whether or not her demands are justified.

"Ang tenor niya (Castro) diri nga akong natan-aw is murag naningil siya sa previous. Dili niya ni ipamugos nga murag utangan ang syudad because it was given by the city as an assistance which may not or may be withdrawn at any time. Dili ni sya ingnon nga obligatory on the part of Cebu City. Dili pud ni sya maka-create og vested right on the entity or person na atong gitagaan," Poblete said.

He said that it is not proper for Castro to demand but still they will look into it.

Poblete said that Castro's recent move is questionable saying that if Osmeña lifted the order preventing her from receiving the allowance three years, why is she claiming it only now?

"Mura'g na-waive na ni, kay nganong wala na ni gi-claim sa una. Iya tong kargo na wala niya paningla, karon bag-o naman ang mayor n'ya nanghatag naman og allowance so I don't see any reason na hisgutan pa niya ni. There was ample time for her to claim this kung tinuod man gani nga gi-lift," Poblete said.

Castro and all city fiscals are set to receive an additional monthly allowance from the city government. From P5,000, Rama is set to raise it to P10,000.

Osmeña, who is now representative of the city's south district, does not support Castro's claim but instead wants her to sue the city if she insists.

When the city government increased the allowance of judges from P5,000 to as much as P35,000 a month last March retroactive to January this year, Osmeña did not include the 33 city prosecutors because they inhibited from the case he filed against businessman Jonathan Guardo. (THE FREEMAN)