Comelec's advice on bonus payout sought

CEBU CITY — City hall employees anticipating their Charter Day bonus may have to wait longer due to election ban.

Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia is seeking guidance from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on whether the city can proceed with the bonus payout, classified as a one-time financial incentive and separate from the annual budget.

Concerns raised by the city's accounting and finance offices prompted him to take this step.

He explained that while regular salaries and operational expenses remain unaffected by the election ban, the bonus requires clearance.

If Comelec permits the release, the city will proceed, otherwise, he intends to travel to Manila to file a petition for exemption.

Determined to fulfill the promise, Garcia assured employees that he would explore all legal options.

He emphasized that the incentive serves the employees, not a political agenda, and expressed optimism that Comelec would recognize this and grant the exemption.

The city council approved the P35,000 Charter Day bonus for each regular and casual employee on March 26 as part of the first supplemental budget.

Initially proposed at P25,000, the amount increased after reallocating funds from an P88-million livelihood program, reducing the final budget from P635 million to P587.7 million.

Garcia acknowledged that the timing of the approval created complications, as the council finalized the budget just days before the election ban took effect.

He stressed that the delay was beyond his control, pointing out that the council needed time to review and amend the proposal.

The election ban prohibits the release of nonrecurring financial incentives during the campaign period.

While salaries and maintenance expenses remain unaffected, bonuses require Comelec's approval before disbursement.