Tuesday, July 08, 2008 Castro shuns issues, prefers time lobbying for gov’t lawyers’ benefits
PROSECUTOR Mary Ann Castro who is detailed at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said she would rather spend her time on positive causes than commenting on news reports regarding the decision of the Sandiganbayan to pursue her bribery case.
Castro said she will just leave it to her counsel Adelino Sitoy, now Cordova’s town mayor, to protect her interest in the case.
She said she is busy representing Central Visayas prosecutors to the National Prosecutors League of the Philippines (NPLP) in order to increase their compensation, retirement benefits, compensation and health care program.
The NPLP is having a 6-day conference in Cagayan de Oro City.
Program
Yesterday, Castro said the NPLP passed and approved the gun loan program, with which prosecutors can avail themselves of a P30,000 loan to buy firearms.
The NPLP will also execute a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) to provide health care for yearly check-up of all prosecutors.
Under the health care program, a prosecutor may avail himself of P3 million worth of hospitalization and health care benefits. The prosecutors will pay the P7,000 to P10,000 annual premium, but on salary deduction at P300 per pay day.
Castro said the health care is in addition to the same benefits from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Castro also said that they were able to convince the congressmen to pass the bill appropriating P700 for additional compensation and retirement benefits and make prosecutorial positions in parity with the judiciary.
Proposal
Under the proposed bill, the position of chief prosecutors will be upgraded and will be made equal to the Court of Appeals justice and the assistant prosecutor to a Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge.
She said that in the case of Cebu City Prosecutor Nicolas Sellon, his benefits will be equal to that of a CA justice.
“That’s what I’m concerned with now, and I won’t comment on cases masterminded by those who want me destroyed,” Castro said.
Meanwhile, Castro is going to Manila next week to submit a report on the performance of BI 7 and ask for additional confidential agents.
Castro said the revenue collections of BI 7 increased because of the policy of Alien Control Officer Reynaldo Almaden to give chance to overstaying foreigners to apply for extension of their stay in the country without threat of arrest and deportation. (EOB)
