Barangay chief unfazed over medical, burial aid cut

AT least one barangay official dismissed the warning by the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) to reduce the medical and burial assistance it extends to barangays who failed to pay their dues.

“I am not afraid of that, let them do that and I will meet them at the office of the Ombudsman,” said Basak San Nicholas barangay captain George Rama.

Basak San Nicholas is one of four barangays with delinquent accounts to the ABC.

Earlier ABC President Michael Rallota warned they would cancel association privileges to non-paying members.

He said he won’t sign on the Program of Works and Estimates (POWE) for barangay projects.

Rama said their barangay always pays their dues to the national Liga ng mga Barangay (League of Barangays).

Despite this, Rama said the Cebu City ABC wanted to collect more dues.

“They want us to give a share of our income that would amount to P200,000.00. I can’t allow that. If he is right and we are wrong then we will pay. But if he is wrong, we will face him in court,” he said.

Rallot said the ABC extends burial assistance of P30, 000 to barangay captains and P20,000 for barangay councilors.

Families of barangay tanods or members of the Lupon Tagapamayapa are also given P5,000 in burial aid.

Medical assistance worth P20,000 and P10,000 respectively are given to ailing barangay captains and councilors while tanods and lupons get P5,000 each.

“We need to collect the dues so we can operate and we have many programs,” Rallota said.

Rallota said he was thinking of leasing an ABC-owned lot located near the city hall building to a commercial establishment in order to raise more funds.  Correspondent Edison delos Angeles