On 2015 budget cut: Talisay mayor to file case at DILG vs council’s act

CEBU, Philippines - After getting a favorable opinion from the Department of Interior and Local Government-7 over the City Council’s act of reducing some appropriations of the executive in the 2015 annual budget, Talisay City Mayor Johnny De los Reyes said he will be filing an administrative sanction or a verified complaint against the Council.

Last July, De los Reyes (JVR) sought assistance from the Office of the Ombudsman and the DILG on his complaint against members of the Council for alleged “bad faith, malice and gross negligence” in the passage of the 2015 annual budget, which he subsequently vetoed.

In this 2015 budget, JVR proposed for a P1.081 billion allocation but the Council slashed this down to P539.941 million only, prompting him to seek DILG’s opinion on whether the legislators’ move was legal.

In a letter opinion, dated last August 19, DILG-7 Regional Director Rene Burdeos said there was valid ground for possible administrative sanction against the members of the City Council.

“Upon review of the documents attached to your (JVR) complaint, it appears to herein undersigned that a cause of action for possible grave abuse of authority on the part of the members of the City Council of Talisay in the significant reduction of the budget,” Burdeos said.

Burdeos also said the significant reduction affected the mandatory compliance to the statutory requirements such as those relating to Personal Services and the maintenance and other operating expenses of the different department and offices.

Burdeos then suggested to JVR to file either a verified complaint directly to the Office of the President or an administrative sanction to DILG for immediate action. The Office of the President has disciplinary jurisdiction over the elected officials, he said.

JVR had also asked the DILG if the grant of confidential/intelligence fund is automatic, pursuant to DILG MC No. 99-65 and 99-100, and computed at “30 percent of the total annual amount allocated for peace and order efforts or three percent of the total annual appropriations, whichever is lower.”

Among the annual budget items that earned the council’s scrutiny was the P10 million for the mayor’s intelligence fund, of which the Council only approved P100,000.

Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante, for his part, told The Freeman there have been plenty of DILG opinions that upheld the power of the Council to cut or reduce the budget. “It is an inherent power of the Council to slash the budget of the executive in line with the principle of check and balance.”

Villarante said he was confident the Council’s action can stand the scrutiny of any court or administrative body. He also understood the opinion of Burdeos, which only relied on the letter of JVR, without hearing the side of the Council. He further insisted there was no drastic reduction of the budget as alleged by the mayor.(FREEMAN)