P13B 2015 budget

CEBU, Philippines -  The Cebu City Council has finally approved the 2015 budget at P13.4 billion, the biggest appropriation so far.

The appropriation for special accounts totaling P998.4 million was also approved.

These were approved unanimously by the members of the council during yesterday’s special session of the city council with some objections and reservations from its members following the reduction of the budget from the P18.9 billion originally proposed by the executive department.

The amount will be sourced from the tax revenues (P2.98 billion), non-tax revenues (P770 million), external sources (P1.5 billion), sales of disposed assets (P490 million), auction sale of real properties (P50 million), domestic borrowings (P3.1 billion) and sale of two South Road Properties lots (P4.5 billion).

The P4.5 billion will be used for the capital outlay, while the remaining P8.9 billion will fund the personal services (P1.2 billion), maintenance and other operating expenses (P3.7 billion), subsidy to special accounts (P786.6 million) and financial expenses (P3.2 billion).

With “restriction” on the P4.5 billion source of fund (sales of SRP lots) stipulated in Section 3 of the annual appropriations got objections from some councilors and Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella.

The provision provides that “All Capital Expenditures of this annual budget shall be sourced out of the sale of disposed assets-SRP lot. Implementation and purchases of any and all capital expenditure items identified in this annual budget shall be enforceable upon the sale of the SRP lot.”

Labella, a lawyer by profession, cautioned the council on the provision as they may be “harboring on serious and legal ramifications” likened to the P20,000 calamity assistance given to 4,200 city officials and employees last year that resulted to an administrative complaint before the Office of the President.

He invoked Section 320 of the Local Government Code, which states “the responsibility for the execution of the annual and supplemental budgets and the accountability therefore shall be vested primarily in the local chief executive concerned.”

“It is my respectful submission that the council is encroaching on the powers of the mayor it violates the provision of the law. Some mischievous lawyer and crackpots may file harassment case. I don’t want it to happen again,” said Labella, who vacated the podium as presiding officer and was replaced by councilor Nestor Archival just to participate in the budget discussion.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo, also a lawyer, said the council would not only violate the local government code but also undermine the power and role of the local chief executive to propose budget, provide source and implement the same. This was supported by councilors Noel Eleuterio Wenceslao, Philip Zafra, Richard Osmeña and Mary Ann Delos Santos.

Councilor Sisinio Andales countered that “it is still premature on our part that this is a violation because this has not been approved by the mayor.”

Councilor Eugenio Gabuya agreed that the approved appropriation would still be submitted to the Department of Budget and Management for review whether or not it is “operative and invalid.”

The passage of the annual appropriation hit a snag yesterday due to objections that led to three short recesses.

Carillo favored the approval of the budget but made some line objection, such as the exclusion of the salary of the job order personnel (P58 million), construction of city college (P50 million), local 4Ps funding (P24 million), and his pet project the solo parents incentives (P40 million).

He said the council is violating the solo parents ordinance for not allocating funds for its implementation next year. The city has more than 4,000 qualified beneficiaries who are expecting to receive P5,000 a year.

“I raised objection kay akong nakita nga importante tanan ang items sa budget nga gikinahanglan gyod sa pagpatuman sa atong proyekto. Naguol ko kay wa gyod ni naapil,” he said.

Carillo was also disappointed over the “promise” of BOPK councilors that 422 job orders would be promoted to casual which was why the JO budget was removed. He said that this is not feasible.

Sought for comment, Mayor Michael Rama said “P13.4 billion is better than nothing.”

Zero allocation

About P6 billion worth of items was not given appropriations, including the fencing of schools (P150 million), facility for street dwellers (P100 million), SRP management (P200 million); master plan for the city zoo (P20 million), purchase of animals (P2 million) and the construction of a motorpool in Barangay Taptap (P10 million).

Likewise, purchase of closed-circuit television cameras (P20 million), other equipment for all offices (P10 million), construction of additional school buildings for K to 12 program (P500 million), heavy equipment for mountain barangays (P100 million), automation of cedula, tax (P4.3 million), construction of a two-story “killhouse” quarters with surveillance cameras (P45 million) were also not allocated.

The P45 million for administration of lot disposal at SRP was also removed, which according to Wen-ceslao is needed to dispose of the five properties authorized by the council for sale.

The council also gave no budget for the construction of a senior citizens building at SRP (P50 million), city college building (P300 million), incubator building or halfway house (P150 million), and parking building (P150 million), among others.

The council, however, increased the appropriations for lot acquisition for socialized housing and other projects to P300 million from P30 million; school site land acquisition to P199 million from P50 million; lot acquisition not for socialized housing to P100 million from P50 million, land improvements-site development to P250 million from P100 million; and construction of medium rise building to P500 million from P50 million, among others.

Items reduced include the intelligence fund amounting to P250,000 from P25 million and discretionary fund of the mayor to P500,000 from P6.4 million.

The lot acquisition for 93-1 lots was also given an appropriation of P400 million, to pay off the province-owned properties.

However, the budget for gasoline was reduced to P90 million from P156 million and supply for motor vehicle to P20 million from P40 million, including P5 million (of the P30 million) appropriation for the training expenses. — /BRP (FREEMAN)