P165 million budget proposed for city’s peace and order

CEBU, Philippines —  The Cebu City’s executive department has proposed P164.9 million for the peace and order and public safety plan next year.

It is P26 million higher compared to this year’s P138.9 million despite the “not-so-good” relationship between Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the officials of the police force.

Of the P164.9 million, at least P65 million is proposed for the incentive allowance for the peace and order personnel serving the city and another P2.5 million allowance for policemen serving the mountain barangays.

Aside from that, the city also proposed P2.5 million training expenses for the police and P1 million ammunitions for the military and police.

The P164.9 million forms part of the proposed P8.1 billion annual budget for the city’s operations next year.

The City Council has yet to deliberate the proposed annual budget for next year during its regular session next week.

The Annual Investment Plan (AIP) supposedly proposed P22.9 million for the procurement of motor vehicles for the peace and order program, but the executive department did not allocate any amount for it under the proposed annual budget.

Another P5 million supposedly for police equipment under the AIP was not included in the proposed annual budget for next year.

Other items under the proposed annual budget include P8.6 million allowance of firemen serving the city, P15 million honoraria for the security services of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team, and P1 million for Cebu City’s Oplan Pakigsandurot.

For the city’s anti-drug campaign program, the executive proposed P1.5 million for the re-orientation of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council of the 80 barangays, P2 million for drug awareness activities, P100,000 for drug testing kits, P4.4 million for laboratory confirmatory testing, P1 million for livelihood program for the surrenderees.

The executive department also proposed P1 million for the We Care Program, P18.6 million for the peace and order services, P5 million allowance for the city prosecutors, P3.2 million allowances for the Public Attorney’s Office, P10 million aid to the judiciary, among others. — GAN (FREEMAN)