PROSECUTORS will continue to receive allowances from local government units (LGUs), as Justice Secretary Leila De Lima has apparently taken back her pronouncement to discontinue the granting of allowance to prosecutors.
This is based on the letter of Prosecutor General Claro Arellano to the Prosecutors' League of the Philippines Inc. (PLP) president Aileen Gutierrez dated April 10, which was posted by Regional Prosecutor for Davao Antonio Arellano in his Facebook account.
"Please be advised that in the meeting today after the undersigned reiterated the repercussions of the said pronouncement, the honorable secretary has agreed and committed that she will not be issuing any directive prohibiting the grant of financial assistance to prosecution offices by local government units," Arellano's letter to Gutierrez read.
The letter also cited that De Lima only made such pronouncement as she "merely expressed her long-term vision for the National Prosecution Service (NPS) to be financially independent and self-sustaining."
But while De Lima envisions a self-sustaining NPS, the letter cited that "The honorable secretary also acknowledged that the times are not conducive to this great vision due to budget constraints."
It was earlier reported that De Lima made the pronouncement during the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) National Convention in Cebu City last March.
During the PLP 27th National Convention of Prosecutors in Davao City on April 8, however, the convention's keynote speaker Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte refused to adhere to De Lima's statement claiming that LGUs are mandated by law to provide financial assistance to prosecutors.
The Regional Prosecutor for Davao, for his part, said that prosecutors are allowed to receive allowances from LGUs pursuant to the Republic Act (RA) 10071 or the Prosecution Act of 2010, as well as RA 9279 or the Act Granting Additional Compensation in the form of Special Allowances for the Members of the National Prosecution Services and the State Counsels.