THE woes of the Dagupan City government on the alleged illegal release of calamity fund by the Dagupan City government that was distributed to selected barangay chairmen in the city last year are far from over.

It is now confronted with another issue: how to liquidate?

The release of the fund, reportedly intended for victims of typhoon Juan last year, raised legal issues because it was done when there was no official declaration of a state of calamity in the city.

More than P13 million was drawn by the city government from the calamity fund when Typhoon Juan struck.

Councilor Alfie Fernandez said the city government needs to liquidate the calamity fund with the corresponding resolution from the city council declaring a state of calamity.

The city government headed by Mayor Benjamin Lim contends that the release of the calamity fund had legal basis since of a state of calamity was declared by the provincial government.

Fernandez, however, rebutted the city hall’s position asserting that Dagupan is an independent component city and is not politically subject to provincial ordinances.

“In liquidating the amount spent, the responsible agency or official must attach in the disbursement voucher a resolution of the Sangguniang Panlungsod that declared a state of calamity for the city,” Fernandez said.

“Since the disbursement vouchers had no attachment in the absence of a resolution that declared a state of calamity for the city, the transaction could not have been approved at that time in the first place,” he added.

Under Republic Act No. 10121, a calamity fund can only be released for emergency purposes through a declaration of state of calamity by the President or the local Sanggunian concerned.

Earlier, Acting City Legal Officer Roy Laforteza told the Sangguniang Panlungsod that it was a declaration of the Sangguinang Panlalawigan of Pangasinan which was used by the city in releasing the calamity fund.

Fernandez said this admission could make the auditor partly accountable if true. However, PUNCH sources said the office of the mayor has not submitted its liquidation report to the city auditor.

The councilor said that as things stand today the council is studying the possible filing of administrative and criminal complaints against those who were involved in the unauthorized release of the calamity fund.

“Pinag-aaralannaming mabuti kung talagang may violation nga ba…as of now, sa tingin namin mayroon,” Fernandez said.

BUDGET

Meanwhile, Fernandez reiterated the assurance that the proposed 2011 budget will be passed by the council before March 31, the deadline prescribed by the Local Government Code for approving budgets of local government units.

He echoed the earlier statement of Vice Mayor and SP presiding officer Belen Fernandez that the council is now finalizing the budget for presentation and approval by the plenary.

Vice Mayor Fernandez vowed that the budget will be passed on the due date despite the refusal of the department heads and members of the minority during the last days of the budget deliberations in the SP.

The vice mayor, however, did not say whether the submitted P568 million budget will be approved in its entirety.—LM

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