Castro's allowance in SB2

CEBU, Philippines - The uncollected honorarium of Assistant Prosecutor Mary Castro amounting to P132,500 is among the items in the second supplemental budget of Mayor Michael Rama.

Rama has already submitted the budget to the Cebu City Council and will be discussed during the regular session on Wednesday.

Castro has asked the mayor to release her uncollected monthly allowance from April 2005 to June 2007, which was withheld upon the orders of former mayor Tomas Osmeña. 

Osmeña suspended Castro’s allowance starting April 16, 2005 after Castro figured in several controversial cases, one of which was the conflict between Filipino-Chinese brothers Jake and Nanak Yu over a traffic-related case.

The suspension was lifted on June 13, 2007, but Castro still failed to collect her allowance.

Castro said when she claimed her allowance at City Hall, she was given the run around and was asked to produce the original copy of Osmeña’s order stating the lifting of the suspension.

Castro only has a machine copy of the order.

The lady prosecutor said she is a single parent with two children and the uncollected allowances would help them greatly.     - THE FREEMAN