Talisay to operate on reenacted budget?

CEBU, Philippines – Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante, who presides the council sessions in Talisay City, said he will try his best to persuade the City Council to approve the budget for next year and not to use a reenacted one.

A delay in approving the P800 million 2016 budget proposal of Mayor Johnny De los Reyes is seen possible, given that the Alayon-dominated council has earlier expressed to scrutinize each budget item in the proposal.

The mayor's proposed budget includes funding for different projects, salaries of the job order employees, intelligence fund, peace and order, among others.

The city mayor earlier said he is hopeful that the city council would approve the budget as soon as possible.

Villarante, however, said they will try to pass the budget ordinance since the budget being lobbied for is intended for the City Hall operations next year, possibly under a new administration.

In 2016, Talisay City's mayoralty bets are De los Reyes, Villarante and former congressman Eduardo Gullas.

Villarante said the council has nothing to fear that the present mayor might use the budget for other purposes since he may be barred to spend them due to the upcoming election period in which local government units are prevented from spending money for projects until election ends.

The election period and the election ban will start last week of Febraury 2016.

Villarante admitted that passing the budget is not that easy because the legislative department would scrutinize each of the items to determine whether it is proper to give such amount.

He added that they also need to raise a red flag on unnecessary insertions like appropriations for the salary of the excessive number of job order workers.

He said that in January next year, they could only use a reenacted budget while the approval of 2016 budget is still pending.

The FREEMAN tried to reach De los Reyes for comment yesterday but to no avail. (FREEMAN)