SP slammed for delay of supplemental budget
FOR LACK OF QUORUM
TECHNICAL consultants and emergency workers of the Dagupan City government numbering some 300 will have to wait longer before receiving their unpaid wages for the months of September and October.
The continued delay is due to the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s failure to pass the proposed supplemental budget covering the wages after failing to meet in their regular session on November 11 for lack of quorum with only five members present.
Present were Vice Mayor and presiding officer Brian Lim, and Councilors Jeslito Seen, Jose Netu Tamayo, Redford Erfe Mejia and Joaquin Reyes, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay Federation.
Councilor Maybelyn Fernandez is on official business as she is reportedly campaigning for the presidency of the League of City Councilors of the Philippines.
Absent were Councilors Alfie Fernandez, Karlos Reyna, Marvin Fabia, Jesus Canto, Alvin Coquia, Guillermo Vallejos and Chester Gonzales whose term as Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president ends on Nov. 30.
The supplemental budget of P15.9 million was submitted to the SP on October 18.
Mayor Belen Fernandez has directed City Administrator Farah Decano to communicate with the SP to ask them to hold a special session as soon as possible to address the supplemental budget.
As of Friday last week, the SP failed to hold a special session but members vowed to pass the budget by November 18.
“Sana mag-meet na sila. Kawawa na ang ating mga empleyado at ang kanilang pamilya. Sa kuryente naman, baka maka-receive na tayo ng disconnection notice from Decorp (Dagupan Electric Corporation),” said Fernandez in a call to THE PUNCH from Manila where she is attending a two-day seminar hosted by the League of Cities of the Philippines.
Meanwhile, affected consultants and EWs expressed hope that the SP members will be true to their word.
Some lamented that it took the former SP to approve in just less than five minutes the controversial resolution authorizing then Mayor Benjamin Lim to negotiate the sale of MC Adore but it takes them a month to approve a simple supplemental budget for the welfare of workers and the city.
Decano said P 6.1 million of the supplemental budget was earmarked for the unpaid wages of the consultants and EWs for the months of September and October and another P7.8 million for the electricity bills of the city for July to August.
Mayor Fernandez, with the help of the Local Finance Committee, had to source out funds from available appropriations, sacrificing some items in the operations, to pay for the unpaid dues with Decorp.
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