DILG's help sought over barangay officials’ pay

CEBU, Philippines —  San Nicolas Proper Barangay Captain Clifford Jude Niñal has sought the help of the Department of Interior and Local Government after the Cebu City government reportedly failed to give its village watchmen (tanods) and peace mediators (lupong tagapamayapa) honorarium for more than six months already.

“Wala na koy choice. Nakig-estorya na ming mga kapitan sa mayor (Edgardo Labella), ingon siya pag-una nga wala siyay kalibutan about aning mga tanod. Unya iya daw tan-awn," said Niñal.

However, in its last meeting at Bayfront Hotel, Labella said the same thing, the village chief added.

“Pag-last namo nga meeting kauban mga taga-IATF, mao ra gihapon. Ang mga tanod ug mga taga Lupon maka-ingon na ni silag wala gyud mi gibuhat. So, patabang na lang gyud mi ani sa DILG,” said Niñal.

In its previous meeting with Labella and some IATF officials, several barangay captains, including Niñal, had expressed their concern about the tanods, as they are confused why there needs to be an endorsement from the Mayor’s Information and Liaison Officers (MILO) for its “authority to serve.”

Without the MILO’s signature, the tanods and lupons cannot get their monthly honorarium.

San Nicolas Proper Chief Tanod Ariel Salamida said that it was also the barangay’s assigned MILO representative that allegedly caused the delay in the release of their honorarium.

Salamida said they were also planning to file a complaint to DILG, but The FREEMAN learned that the filing of the complaint did not push through on its planned date after hearing that Labella will be looking into it.

However, after seven months and still not getting their pay despite the service they have rendered during the pandemic, the tanods are left with no choice but to push through with the complaint.

The said complaint will be forwarded next week together with Niñal’s letter to DILG.

San Nicolas Proper has 20 tanods and 11 Lupon members, most of them just relying on their honoraria.

The barangay is giving the tanods and members of the Lupon P1,500  each and a monthly counterpart of P4,000 from the city government. However, the tanods and lupon only got the barangay’s counterpart for this year so far. GAN (FREEMAN)