Umali-Joson showdown looms over 2009 Ecija budget

PALAYAN CITY – Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali and Vice Gov. Edward Thomas Joson, who have been at odds over several graft suits they filed against each other and over last year’s budget are at it again over the provincial government’s P1.48-billion proposed 2009 budget which Joson described as “bloated” and “unrealistic.”

Joson had claimed that the 2009 proposed budget of the provincial government was cloaked with Umali’s pork barrel allocations disguised as lump sum allocations.

“Parang pork barrel ‘to (It’s like a pork barrel),” Joson said of the allocation, saying this would have rough sailing in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan like last year when it slashed the 2008 budget by P300 million.

In his budget message to the SP, Umali said the requirements for the budget proposal for 2009 worth P1,498,081,077.52 under Section 318 of RA 7160 or the Local Government Code, have been complied with. He said the budget proposal has been prepared as an “effective tool” for allocating the limited financial resources of the province, saying it is his administration’s thrust to make a balanced budget so as not to incur a budgetary deficit without sacrificing the delivery of basic services.

In the budget proposal, the provincial government estimated the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) at P1.027 billion, the tax revenues at P361.9 million and others P109 million. The proposal sought the allocation of P205.5 million for development projects, P190 million for payment of the Capitol’s debts and P71.787 million as calamity funds. The budget proposal, which has been referred to the committee of the whole of the SP, sought the allocation of a whopping P125 million for the provincial governor’s office and only P42.3 million for the SP.

Umali expressed hope that the proposed budget would be approved without cuts by the Joson-dominated SP because the people of Nueva Ecija would suffer.