'Stop black propaganda,' Suplico tells Tupas on BHW honoraria row
"Stop the black propaganda."
Such is the message of Vice Governor Rolex Suplico to his uncle, Governor Niel Tupas, the two – Iloilo's top officials – at never-ending odds over policies and politics.
The latest to earn the ire of the vice governor is the purported misinformation campaign in Iloilo's 1,721 barangays. Suplico and members of the 9th Iloilo Sanggunian Panlalawigan (SP) are purportedly against the release of honoraria to the province's volunteer Barangay Health Workers (BHWs). Or so it is wrongfully spread, decried the vice governor pointing to the governor and his allies as the ones responsible.
"The SP is not against the grant of P2,000 to the volunteer health workers. Governor Tupas should tell the truth that the SP is more than willing to grant the honoraria as long as conditions are met and complied," Vice Governor Suplico said.
And what are these conditions? Suplico began with his first – submission of the master list as he went ahead to state three others.
"No. 2, there should be a report of proper disposition of funds, 3. Distribution should be at the towns to prevent unnecessary expenses on the part of the volunteer health workers and 4. No political rallies should accompany the distribution," Suplico in a message sent to The News Today (TNT) said.
"Last year, after the SP gave the honoraria, these stipulations in the Ordinance including the provision for the funds' transmittal to the municipal treasurers for town level distribution were blatantly violated. Governor Tupas should be reminded these are public funds not his personal funds."
Governor Tupas, since his first term in 2001, gives honoraria to BHWs every year which is normally released in the month of December.
The releasing of honoraria is usually made at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol for BHWs from the first to the fourth district and in Barotac Viejo town hall for the those coming from the fifth district.
There are about 8,000 BHWs all over the province.
Last September, the group through their president Merlyn Figueroa lobbied to Gov. Tupas for the release of their honorarium which they also consider as their Christmas bonus.
The governor then said that he was having a hard time getting through the requests for funding because the provincial government still operates on a reenacted budget.