Pinamungajan mayor asks DILG’s help on disapproved budget

CEBU, Philippines - Pinamungajan Mayor Glenn Baricuatro and five councilors have sought the assistance of the Department of Interior and Local Government with regards to the town’s 2014 annual budget that was disapproved by the Municipal Council.

Among the queries raised by Baricuatro and Councilors Manuelito Cerna, Julius Erwin Alpas, Richard Canillo, Oscar Cerna, Jr. and Michael Sabagala is whether Vice Mayor Honeylette Lingad is correct with her claim that she must be included in determining the simple majority during the voting for the enactment of ordinances and resolutions.

“Without a doubt, your opinion on these matters will finally settle the issues hounding the approval of the annual budget and accordingly guide us in addressing similar problems in the future,” read the letter addressed to DILG-7 Director Ananias Villacorta.

The matter is still pending before the Legal Services Department of the DILG central office in Manila.

The council, presided by Lingad, took up the proposed P95 million annual budget on March 27, 2014.

The committee on budget chaired by Councilor Jeffrey Anthony Yapha recommended the disapproval of the original proposal of Baricuatro which Lingad then submitted for voting.

The voting yielded the result of four members in favor of its disapproval while five members voted for its approval.

On the basis thereof, Lingad ruled to disapprove the annual budget for failure to obtain the majority vote to enact an appropriation ordinance which, in this case, allegedly needed six votes.

Lingad invoked that the entire council has ten members present including her as presiding officer prompting her to rule that simple majority should be six.

Among the important projects Baricuatro cited in the proposed budget are the expansion of municipal cemetery and the counterpart funding for the repair of the Gabaldon school buildings.

“Maong niapil ang mga magtutudlo sa petition sa ubang sector nga ma-approve gyud ang among budget,” Baricuatro said.

Various groups have earlier petitioned the Municipal Council of Pinamungajan to pass the 2014 annual budget.

The groups urged Lingad, Councilors Ernesto Faciol, Yapha, Benito Fernandez, and Maria Flores Cantero to reconsider their decision for the benefit of all the Pinamungajanons.

The petitioners include the 23 out the 26 barangay captains, 126 barangay councilmen, 56 municipal employees, all department heads, officials and employees of Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Pinamungajan Central School, Pinamungajan Public Market Vendors Association, Senior Citizens Association of the Philippines- Pinamungajan Chapter, youth sector, farmers and fisherfolks associations, Pinamungajan Badminton Afficionados, Pinamungajan- Aloguinsan Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association, Barangay Health Workers and some concerned citizens. —/ATO (FREEMAN)