This came as the May barangay election draws near with the Pasay City administration’s intention not to implement an ordinance reducing its number of barangays.
"Mayor (Peewee) Trinidad wants to keep his options open. If he will implement the ordinance he wants to be sure that the "No" vote will not win or else we would just be wasting P15 million," said City Administrator Ernestina Carbajal.
The controversial ordinance, passed two years ago, calls for the reduction of the city’s barangays from its current swollen number of more than 200 to an ideal of about 40. The city has become too politically fragmented making its management difficult. A short tricycle ride anywhere in the city could easily get you across three barangays.
From the salaries of the barangay chairmen alone the city spends at least P20 million annually. Each barangay also has seven kagawads and several barangay tanods on its payroll, not to mention the operational budgets. The ordinance should have been implemented in January last year leaving Trinidad exposed to graft suits.
"Well it is our political enemies who are saying that (graft case)," said Carbajal. The city administrator, though, did not deny that Trinidad is required under the law to implement the ordinance, which he himself signed into law as mayor in his first term. But Carbajal said Trinidad would not want the law repealed.
"The mayor sees the wisdom of the law, it is just that he does not want to waste all these money when the ‘NO’ vote wins," she said.
Pasay is still reeling from a tax collection shortfall last year and hobbled by a P30 million debt. Carbajal said, though, that the city is now on the upswing with business taxes showing marked increases in January alone while its debt has remained steady.
Carbajal said unless barangay leaders would help them, the "No" vote is bound to prevail. A "Yes" victory would in effect be booting out of office more than 150 barangay chairmen, about 1,000 barangay kagawads, and much higher number of barangay tanods and employees.
To date, Carbajal admitted the ordinance does not stand a chance.
"We are undertaking information drives, though, to educate the people on the advantages of the law. It is still continuing," said Carbajal. But with the barangay elections just three months away, the plebiscite is not expected anytime soon and the wastage in public funds will continue.