In Daanbantayan: Salary hike, differentials of execs, workers hit snag

CEBU, Philippines — Officials and employees of Daanbantayan are kept in limbo whether or not their fourth tranche of salary increase and differentials from January to June this year will be paid following legal issues on the budget.

Mayor Sun Shimura has refused to implement the increase under the Salary Standardization Law, including the differentials, pending his query on the validity of the passage of the supplemental budget by the previous administration from which the payment will be sourced from.

Former town councilors Renillo Gullem, Samuel Moralde, Maria Bregidorietta Tancawan, Emmanuel Benatiro and Renato Te whose terms ended last June 30 were among those affected.

On February 12, 2019, then mayor Vicente Loot certified as urgent the approval of the P7.2 million supplemental budget which the Sangguniang Bayan approved on March 8, 2019.

SB Secretary Jose Maria Gastardo forwarded the appropriation ordinance to the Office of the Mayor for signature on March 13, 2019 but it was returned unsigned on March 22, 2019 with a veto message.

“All told, you may consider this move erratic, illogical and at some points emotional. For how can a Local Chief Executive reverses his stand and Veto a legislation he endorsed and even signified as urgent? I have come to self-internalization and to a definite realization of my actuations in this effort. I cannot swallow and has to spit out what I consider as nutritious food when I found out I just plucked it out of the mouth of others who are hungry and needed food the most,” reads Loot’s veto message.

Loot pointed out that while the majority bloc comprising of the opposition was fast in approving budget for personnel benefits, they were also fast to shoot down budgets intended for his major projects such as peace and order, delivery of services to vulnerable sectors, anti-illegal fishing, assistance to farmers and fishermen, medical assistance, maintenance of vehicles, among others.

The Municipal Council overrode the veto on June 29, 2019 thereby making the supplemental budget effective. The Cebu Provincial Board also sustained the validity of the overriding of veto by the municipal council.

“After a lengthy discussion and comprehensive research on the matter, this Committee holds that the act of the Sangguniang Bayan of the Municipality of Daanbantayan, Cebu, in overriding the veto of the municipal mayor is impressed with merit, proper and in order,” the committee report of PB Member Raul Bacaltos reads.

But Shimura referred the matter to the Department of Interior and Local Government through a letter dated August 22, 2019 addressed to DILG-7 Director Leocadio Trovela.

On September 17, 2019, Trovela forwarded Shimura’s letter-query to Atty. Romeo Benitez, Director for Legal and Legislative Liaison Service, for his appropriate action.

Last September, opposition Councilor Bernardito Luche Jr. reportedly proposed a resolution implementing the vetoed appropriation ordinance but was turned down by the majority bloc allied with Shimura.

The council instead passed on July 12, 2019 a supplemental budget that includes the fourth tranche salary increase for months of July to December 2019. (FREEMAN)