1 week Ago
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A mismatch in budget timing and election spending rules has left the Cebu City government unable to disburse its P35,000 Charter Day bonus to regular and casual employees, as it awaits clearance from the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia confirmed that the city has yet to receive a response from Comelec regarding the petition for exemption it filed last week. The exemption is needed before City Hall can legally release the bonus during the ongoing election spending ban.
“I have not-so-good news. As you know, we already submitted a letter seeking exemption for the release of your P35,000 bonus. But as of last week, there has been no word from Comelec,” Garcia said during the City Hall’s flag-raising ceremony last April 7.
READ: Election ban: City Hall seeks Comelec nod for Charter Day bonus He added that he is prepared to travel to Manila this week to personally follow up on the request if no update arrives soon. The bonus—initially set at P25,000 and later raised to P35,000 per employee—was funded through the city’s Supplemental Budget No. 1 (SB1), which the City Council only approved on March 26.
That left just two days before the start of the local campaign period on March 28, when the Comelec’s election spending ban took effect. Garcia admitted that the late passage of the supplemental budget constrained the city’s ability to process the bonus on time. “I promised the release in March.
But the council approved it only on March 26. Is it my fault that it was passed that late?” he said. READ: Cebu City OKs P35K bonus, scraps P88M livelihood program He added that the city had no room to complete the processing before the restrictions kicked in.
The Comelec’s rules prohibit the release or disbursement of public funds for non-essential and non-recurring expenses, such as bonuses, during the campaign period. This is intended to prevent public funds from being used for political gain. Only essential expenditures, such as salaries and regular operational expenses, are automatically allowed.
Local government units seeking to release bonuses during this period must secure prior approval from Comelec. Meanwhile, Garcia emphasized that the Charter Day bonus for Cebu City hall workers, despite being a one-time disbursement, is meant strictly for employee compensation and is not politically motivated. READ: Comelec keeps eye on ‘ayuda’ activities: No pols, kin, staff “I am hopeful that during the election ban, we will be given an execution by the COMELEC because this is like a bonus; it’s like the salary of an employee.
This shouldn’t be difficult for them to make a decision,” he said. The mayor added that the city’s initial exemption petition did not include the Charter Day bonus, as the proposal was still being finalized during early budget deliberations. After realizing that the release would fall within the election period, the city promptly sent a follow-up request.
Aside from the bonus, the city has also asked Comelec for clearance to proceed with some projects under social services and infrastructure, both also restricted under the election ban. As of press time, Comelec has yet to issue a statement or response to the city’s pending petition..
