Monday, September 21, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES [ BusinessWorld Online ]
THE HOUSE committee on local government has approved a measure seeking to transfer the power to appoint local treasurers from the Secretary of Finance to the local chief executives, even as the move is seen to undermine their independence.
The still-unnumbered substitute bill to House bills 2167, 6023 and 6078 of Tarlac Rep. Jose V. Yap (2nd district), Negros Oriental Rep. George P. Arnaiz (2nd district) and Negros Oriental Rep. Jocelyn S. Limkaichong (1st district) seeks to amend Republic Act (RA) 7160 or the Local Government Code and transferring to the governor, city/municipal mayor the power to appoint provincial, city or municipal treasurers and assistant treasurers.
The authors have claimed the bill would give local governments genuine and meaningful authority by amending RA 7160.
Mr. Arnaiz, who is also the committee chairman, said that while the Finance secretary is the appointing authority, the local executive takes the flak for errors or misdeeds committed by treasurers.
"The issue must also be seen from the context of where local treasurers draw their salaries from. The one who pays should be the one to appoint," he said by phone yesterday.
Mr. Arnaiz added that the bill would improve supervision and easily pinpoint accountability.
On the other hand, Angelita Magsino, legal counsel of the Philippine Association of Local Treasurers and Assessors, said the bill would undermine the independence of treasurers.
"Our independence as fiscal managers might be curtailed due to possible interference of local chief executive in the course of performing our fiscal duties," she said by phone late last week. "Also, we are apprehensive that positions might be changed from career service to that of a political position whose occupants may be removed at the pleasure of the appointing authority. Security of tenure might be endangered." — Jhoanna Frances S. Valdez
____________________________________________________________________________________
