City hall awaits Comelec decision on Charter Day bonus amid election ban

Local

CEBU City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia is seeking guidance from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regarding the release of the Charter Day bonus for city government employees amid the ongoing election ban.

He said that while regular salaries and operational expenses are not subject to the election ban, the bonus is classified as a one-time financial incentive and is not part of the city's annual budget. As a result, the city’s accounting and finance offices have raised concerns about its release.

“So if muingon ang Comelec na pwede namo i-release, amo i-release ug muingon sila ug dili, I have to go all the way to Manila and file a petition for exemption,” Garcia said in an interview on Friday, March 28.

He also assured employees that he is committed to exploring all legal avenues to fulfill the promised bonus.

“Klaro man gyud ni nga dili ni pamolitika no or to increase votes, this is really for the employees, so perhaps if they see it that way ma-grant-an dayon ta ug exemption mo-release dayon ta,” he added.

The Charter Day bonus, amounting to P35,000 per regular and casual employee, was approved as part of the first supplemental budget (SB1) on March 26.

The bonus was initially proposed at P25,000 but was increased after reallocating funds previously set aside for a P88-million livelihood program. The final budget was reduced from P635 million to P587.7 million.

Moreover, Garcia acknowledged that the timing of the approval posed challenges, as the City Council gave its nod just days before the election ban took effect.

He pointed out that the delay was beyond his control since the council needed time to review and amend the budget proposal.

"Ako gyud ning tutukan kay I promised them nga by March I will release it, unya dugay man kaayo na-approve sa konseho. Sala ba na nako nga dugay na-approve? Na-approve on March 26, unsaon pa man pag-process ana, lisod na kaayo,” he said.

The election ban restricts the release of non-recurring financial incentives and other similar disbursements during the campaign period.

While salaries and maintenance expenses are exempt from the ban, bonuses are not automatically included, prompting the need for a Comelec exemption.(TGP)