Monday, January 30, 2006 (Philippines)

HOME GROUND. Roderick Legaspi fell not far from his brother Rodrigo (not in photo), after an unidentified gunman shot and killed the siblings in Barangay Lorega, Cebu City last night. (Sun.Star Photo/Allan Cuizon) FINDING the proposed rates excessive, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) 7 barred an increase in the salaries of the Cebu City mayor, vice mayor and city councilors, which was supposed to take effect this month. A DBM opinion issued last Jan. 6 will further delay the increase in the elected officials’ salary, which has been on hold since June 2004 yet. Although the City Council is authorized by law to set the salary rates of all city officials and employees, the increase they proposed runs counter to several Civil Service Commission (CSC) and DBM guidelines, the DBM regional director said. [full story]