Garcia: PB no hand over Dumanjug budget

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Board has no jurisdiction over the 2014 annual budget of the Municipality of Dumanjug.

This was the claim of suspended Mayor Nelson Garcia following the request of the PB for acting Mayor Efren Guntrano Gica to submit another budget after the first version was returned.

Garcia claimed the prescribed period of 90 days for the PB to review the annual budget of the municipality has already lapsed.

The P70.5 million annual budget of Dumanjug was submitted on December 27, 2013 to the PB for review.

Section 327 of the Local Government Code of 1991 provides that the PB or the Sangguniang Panlalawigan shall review the ordinance authorizing annual or supplemental appropriations of component cities and municipalities in the same manner and within the same period prescribed for the review of other ordinances.

If the PB takes no action on the ordinance within 90 days from receipt of copies, the law says the same shall be deemed to have been reviewed and shall continue to be in full force and effect.

“Nalibog ko nga ngano pa-submiton ang acting mayor og another annual budget,” Garcia said.

The town’s annual budget has been dragged into the controversy surrounding the appointment of the town Council’s secretary, which resulted to Garcia’s preventive suspension for 60 days.

Instead of approving Dumanjug’s 2014 annual budget, the PB returned it to the town allegedly over irregularities and inconsistencies in certain documents.

The appropriation ordinance was signed by Garcia and six town councilors, but it did not bear Gica’s signature. Gica is the Council’s presiding officer.

Board Member Grecilda Sanchez who heads the PB committee on appropriation said it was Gica who informed her about the alleged irregularity in the passage of the annual budget. It was also reportedly Gica who submitted a copy of the Journal Entry of the Special Session and Resolution No. 18-2013.

The journal entry of the December 26, 2013 special session showed that Gica and nine SB members present. Nerio Aquino acted as secretary.

Sanchez noted irregularity and inconsistency in the records when two resolutions appeared to have the same number – one which embodied the 2014 annual budget with Emmylou Cabonilas as SB secretary while another was on the supplemental budget of Barangay Balaygtiki signed by Aquino. —(FREEMAN)