No meal budget yet for city cops
With only five days remaining before the Dinagyang Festival, the chief of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has no idea on how much budget they will receive from the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation Inc. (IDFI) for the meal allowance of cops who will be fielded in the course of the festivity particularly during the Kasadyahan and Dinagyang proper.
Senior Supt. Wesley Barayuga, ICPO director, said he has no details on how much budget they will receive from the foundation as meal allowance of police personnel. The details regarding the meal allowance of the city police has yet to be finalized by the foundation.
Barayuga said he is sure that there is a budget but on how much and when it is going to be released, is still uncertain. The budget will depend on the number of police personnel who will be deployed during the celebration.
An estimated 6,000 joint forces from the police, Armed Force of the Philippines, students and barangay tanods will be fielded in the different city's streets during the affair.
In 2006, the helm of the city police was scandalized after several policemen complained of not receiving any meal allowance from their respective commanders. Said complaint however died a natural death after no formal complaint was made.
There were reports that cops were threatened by their superior officers to be sued for insubordination should they continue to make noise or leak information regarding the undistributed meal allowances last year.
The city director who eluded more queries on the budget, said other than his police personnel, he suggests that students who are part of force will also be given some food. He is asking on whether some bakeries or food establishments can donate food for the students.
During the celebration, only personnel from the police and Armed Forces of the Philippines are given the budget from gasoline allowance to meal allowance.