Peace and order program: Councilor explains unspent budget

CEBU, Philippines - Councilor David Tumulak, head of the city government’s Peace and Order Program (POP), yesterday explained why the program still has P238 million funds for this year left unused.

Tumulak, the representative of Mayor Michael Rama to the POP, said there are already items this year that were processed and some still need to be addressed.

The unused P238 million of the P400.5 million approved appropriation for the POP was disclosed during the budget hearing last Monday, which was under its Status of Appropriations, Obligations and Balances as of October 15, 2015.

Some Councilors questioned the unspent “substantial” amount.

Unused appropriations include P50 million for the Cebu City Police Office building, P17 million for the renovation of the firing range, P12 million for the firefighting equipment, P28 million for various police equipment, and P93 million for motor vehicles for the peace and order program, among others.

But Tumulak said there are items that the Cebu City Police Office needs to “settle” first. For example, the office needs to settle the ownership of the building for which P50 million has been allocated.

“Dili ta kapatukod og bag-ong building ug dili pa nato ma-resolve ang ownership sa building,” he said, adding, that the request for the construction of a building at Camp Sotero along Gorordo Avenue was made during the time of CCPO chief, Senior Supt. Noli Romana.

Tumulak said he already informed the new acting chief of CCPO, Senior Supt. Marciano Batiancela, Jr., about the matter.

He said it should have been Batiancela who answered the questions of councilors, not CCPO Deputy Director for Administration, Supt. Artemio Ricabo.

“Si Supt. Ricabo, he is not the right person to speak in regards sa peace and order. Ang iyang gihimo nga pagsulti, gisakyan niya og pamolitika. I would rather advise him to please shut up. Ayaw butangi og politika ang kapolisan. Dili pwede sakyan og politika ang police,” Tumulak said.

On the P17 million for the firing range, Tumulak said CCPO has to settle the problem at the area nearby as the residents there reportedly complained of having ricochet of bullets.

On the P12 million budget for firefighting equipment, Tumulak said the project has been bid out in October.

On the other hand, the P28 million for police equipment cannot be used just yet owing to different requests from police officers.

“Ang police station dunay laing request. Ang police chief dunay request, ang mga police station nga chief laing request, naa say request sa opisina ni Councilor Archival (Nestor Archival, who heads the City Council’s Committee on Peace and Order),” he said.

During the meeting of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council yesterday, Tumulak said he told Batiancela to collate all requests of the police station chiefs and submit the same to the POP and not to other offices.

The proposal for the P93 million for motor vehicle has been submitted to the City Council last week but the item was referred back to the Council’s Committee on Peace and Order and Committee on Budget and Finance.

He said Archival’s committee is only to make resolutions, ordinances, or recommendations and not act on the requests of the police under the POP.

Meanwhile, Tumulak clarified the issue raised against a certain Hernane Cañete, POP’s administrative aide.

He said Cañete is the only one allowed to sign all requests from agencies covered by POP and will not sign project proposals that are incomplete, inconsistent, among others.

Tumulak reminded police officers that the POP budget is only to supplement and support that of the PNP.

He said POP also caters to proposals, requests, and projects of other agencies like Maritime, National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Hall of Justice, and even barangays in the city.

He said those unspent budget under the Capital Outlay can still be used even if the year ends since it is classified as continuing appropriation. — (FREEMAN)