Sanchez seeks TRO vs budget approval focuses complaint on the legislative cut by 61%

CEBU, Philippines - Hoping to stop the approval of the slashed budget for his office, Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr. filed a prohibition with application for writ of preliminary injunction, temporary restraining order and mandamus against Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and members of the Provincial Board (PB).

Sanchez proposed a budget of P65 million for the legislative department but what was contained in the official budget proposal sent from the Office of the Governor to the PB was only P18 million.

The PB committee on budget and appropriations, after a series of hearings on the proposal, already approved the proposal without any changes, at P3 billion. This means the budget is now ready for presentation before the whole PB, on second and third reading barring any changes.

The vice governor said this is unfair. He had tried but failed to block the budget hearings.

The executive department, however, earlier stressed that the law gives the chief executive the authority to submit budget proposals.

But in his formal complaint, Sanchez said Garcia and the PB members acted with “grave abuse of authority and in excess of discretion.”

“There is a serious irregularity in the preparation on the budget which I was never afforded the chance to justify, much less defend my budget proposal,” Sanchez said.

But Capitol spokesperson lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda said that the implementing rules and regulations of the Local Government Code does not state that the vice governor should defend his proposed budget.

Sepulveda cited Articles 413 and 414 of the Code and said nowhere does it say that Sanchez will have to defend his proposed budget.

The budget proposal is up to the chief executive, he added.

He also said that they will file a motion to dismiss Sanchez’s case for lack of merit.

Sepulveda calls Sanchez’s case as nothing new: “It is a compilation of press releases.”

Sanchez said the “unconscionable slashing” of the budget appropriation for the legislative by 61 percent added “insult to injury and ostensibly put in jeopardy” his functions.

Also, he said the legislative assistance fund should be under the Office of the Vice Governor but this was transferred to the executive department because of politics. On this, Sepulveda said Sanchez’s filing of the case is mere politics. (FREEMAN)