United Nationalist Alliance presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay gestures while at a motorcade from San Miguel to San Ildefonso and San Rafael towns during his campaign sortie in Bulacan province on Thursday. LYN RILLON/INQUIRER
Vice President Jejomar Binay has accused Liberal Party (LP) of blocking moves to regularize barangay (village) workers, who receive only a monthly honorarium, and make them salaried employees.
In his speech during a campaign sortie in San Rafael, Bulacan, on Thursday, Binay renewed his call to give salaries to barangay workers instead of paying them with honoraria and allowances.
Barangay workers, including the captain, kagawad (council members), and health workers, are paid only with a monthly allowance instead of a fixed regular income.
“Kayo ay dapat naging swelduhan na, matagal na. Pero ang Liberal (Party), hinarang po talaga ’yan kahit saliksikin niyo ang nangyari kung bakit ’di kayo nabigyan niyan,” Binay said before a crowd of residents gathered by their barangay captains in an auditorium near the San Rafael municipal hall.
Binay said he would make it his first priority in his administration to make barangay officials salaried government employees.
“Kay Jojo Binay, ang unang priority ko, kayong mga barangay officials, kayo ay magiging swelduhan na. Hindi na kayo (makakatanggap lang ng) honorarium at allowance,” Binay said.
Binay received cheers from a thick crowd of barangay residents who were united in donning blue shirts bearing Binay’s name. The residents here said they were gathered here by their barangay captains and told to wear the Binay shirts.
The Vice President promised to increase the salaries of workers by using the savings accumulated due to the Aquino administration’s underspending.
READ: Binay hits gov’t underspending in presidential debate last words
He chided the Aquino government’s failure to provide free and quality social services because of its underspending of the national budget.
“E ayaw ho talaga gumasta. Savings, savings, savings. My god. Ako, itataas ko ang sweldo niyo. Saan manggagaling ang pera? Doon sa hindi ginastos. Yung savings, ilalabas lang ho natin ’yung savings na ’yun,” Binay said.
“Department of Health, underspending, Department of Interior and Local Government, underspending. Lahat underspending. Eh hindi aangat ang buhay natin dahil sa underspending,” he added. RC
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