Capitol reviews Dumanjug's annual budget

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu Provincial Board’s committee on appropriations has tasked the committee on laws and ordinances to further review and determine the legality of Dumanjug town’s 2008 budget.

This after the Municipal Council of Dumanjug has asked the Cebu Provincial Board to declare the town’s 2008 budget of P40 million as “illegal and falsified.”

In its report, the finance committee has recommended a “favorable action,” on the long-delayed annual budget of Dumanjug amounting to P40 million.

“This committee recommends favorable action (on the budget) having been found to have substantially complied with the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991,” it said.

However, the committee said there are vetoed items on which pertinent provisions of law shall accordingly be applied. Specific items mentioned in the committee report must not be implemented, Provincial Board member Wenceslao Gakit Jr., chairperson of the appropriations committee, stressed.

The Municipality of Dumanjug was ordered to comply with the provisions on disbursement of funds under the local government code of 1991.

The committee reminded that the accountability in the implementation of the annual budget shall be vested on the town’s chief executive.

Just before the report of finance committee was approved in yesterday’s session, PB member Jose Ma. Gastardo proposed for further investigation after it was learned that the budget was spent not in accordance with what the board has approved.

Gastardo said there is no question in the documents as it was revised and approved by the board itself but said the error occurred in how the budget was spent, which is according to the original proposal and not to one revised by the board.

The municipal council has also reportedly decided to disprove outright the town’s proposed budget for 2009 amounting to P53.8 million for fear that it might suffer the same fate as the 2008 budget.

The council instead proposed for a budget that has been slashed by at least P2.1 million, according to Mayor Cesar Baricuatro.

Baricuatro rejected the council’s proposal due to certain items from the original annual budget that were deleted.

Among the items deleted were the P800,000 assistance to farmers and maintenance of the town’s farm-to-market road, the P300,000 for garbage collection and disposal, which was reportedly decreased to only P30,000. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/WAB (THE FREEMAN)