Compostela to cut down on police securing hall

ABOUT 30 policemen guarding the Compostela municipal hall will be pulled out to save on funds, its caretaker mayor said yesterday.

Acting mayor Pedro Noval Jr. told Cebu Daily News that the town is spending P5,000 a day to buy food for the police personnel detailed by the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO).

The amount was taken from the town’s peace and order fund.

Noval, also regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Governments in Central Visayas (DILG-7), said he could no longer use the 20 percent development fund from the municipality’s re-enacted budget in 2009.

The police were assigned to the municipal hall more than two weeks after followers of Compostela mayor-elect Joel Quiño broke open the municipal hall doors.

The aborted takeover was resolved after Quiño received an assurance from Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jesse Robredo that he will persuade the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to speedily resolve the election protest filed against him.

The election protest filed by former mayor Ritchie Wagas that included Quiño and his municipal council slate prevented them from assuming office since last year.

Noval said he met with the barangay captains last week to request them to pull out  Quiño’s supporters that were still front of the municipal hall.

Noval said he plans to ask assistance from Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale since she used to represent Cebu’s 5th district as a board member.

Compostela town is under the province’s fifth district.

The Compostela municipal government’s tight fiscal situation stems from its meager P3 million monthly revenue, which Noval said could not sustain the town’s needs. He said P34 million was spent for the town last year.

The amount covered the salaries and maintenance of some offices in the town hall.

The town’s dire financial situation was also reflected in last Saturday’s inter-barangay volleyball tournament sponsored by its Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).

SK Federation chairperson Daisy Rell Lopez was emotional after seeing that only six of the 12 participating barangays managed to show up for the tournament sponsored by the Capitol’s Extensive Governor Gwen Garcia Volleyball Cup (e-GUV).

Lopez told Cebu Daily News that some barangays informed her that they don’t have any vehicle to transport their volleyball team to the town’s gymnasium.

Despite this, the tournament went on as scheduled.