PAMBUJAN, Northern Samar Mayor Lino Balanquit said it is unfair for a mayor to receive lower salary than other municipal officials given the responsibility entrusted to them.
The mayor said he receives a monthly salary of P42,302, which is lower by P2,473 than the town’s health officer monthly pay of P44,775.
Balanquit, who is now on first term after serving as a town chief executive from 2001 to 2010, said elected officials are asking to at least raise their pay to the maximum step, but within the salary grade.
“Unlike some municipal doctors, the mayor is on call 24 hours a day and seven days a week,” Balanquit said in a brief interview at the sidelines of financial management training conducted by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
The mayor said that since the existing rules on step implements for elected officials is silent, they’re looking at remedies to somehow close salary gaps between them and appointed officials.
DBM Regional Director Imelda Laceras said pay rules step increment is only applicable to appointed officials. The local government has to limit their expense for personnel services.
“It would be unfair for appointed officials if elected mayors would receive an amount under step 8. They always start at step 1 and they can just go up to step 2 every after three years. In the case of mayors, vice mayors, and sanggunian bayan (Municipal Council) members, they should always start at step 1,” Laceras said.
Under the Salary Standardization Law, there are 30 salary grade levels with eight steps in each level.
Local legislators can pass resolution adjusting elected officials salary but the next set of officials and not the incumbent would benefit the adjusted pay. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)