By REDEN S. VIAJE
The newly designated majority floor leader of Manila’s 38-man city council yesterday said that he will not get the benefit of the controversial Exemplary Public Service Award (EPSA) under city Ordinance 8040 saying the measure is both immoral and legally anemic.
Councilor Ernesto "Dionix" Dionisio who has been in the city council on and off since 1988, is in his first term after he lost his vice mayoralty bid in the 2001 election. He re-affirmed his campaign promise not to share with the "loot."
Dionisio, however, refused to comment whether or not being the majority leader he will support a measure that will amend or scrap the EPSA ordinance.
A newly elected alderman who refused to be named said that any move to amend or nullify the controversial ordinance will be an exercise of futility considering that Manila Mayor Lito Atienza,Vice Mayor Danilo Lacuna, and about 15 city councilors are due to get their benefits on June 30, 2007.
Under the ordinance, elective city officials, except barangay officials, who would be able to be elected for three consecutive terms in the same position shall be entitled to "cash reward" equivalent to their nine years salary.
The measure was passed in 2002 by the councilors who would be the ordinance’s first beneficiaries. Last December 2003, the council, spearheaded by the same councilors, approved a
R30-million budget now being divided by themselves as their EPSA benefits.
But upon its approval, majority of the city’s 897 barangay chairmen threatened to campaign against the primemovers of the ordinance on their bid for their third term prompting the city council to pass amendatory ordinance benefiting barangay heads under fix amount.
An estimated R200 to R250 million is needed by the City of Manila every time that it has to pay the incentive to three-term barangay heads, city councilors, vice mayor, and mayor.
Dionisio explained that he asked his constituents to elect him in the position because he wanted to serve and not because of the benefits of the position. "I did not ask my constituents to vote for me and pay me at the same time. To be elected in the position is a privilege," he added.
