SP majority ready to file cases vs. BSL
BRIAN’S CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
THE majority members of Dagupan’s Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) are ready to take Mayor Benjamin Lim to court, thanks to the prodding of the mayor’s son himself.
“Since we are being dared to file the cases, that’s what we will do,” said Councilor Alfie Fernandez speaking for the majority in the city council.
Councilor Brian Lim, minority leader and son of City Mayor Benjamin Lim, earlier issued the challenge to the majority members during the Pangasinan Press Club’s ‘Media in Action’ forum on the reported alleged irregularities in the disbursement of city hall funds unearthed during the budget deliberations.
Lim dared his colleagues in the majority to file cases if they believe irregularities were committed instead of just talking endlessly about the alleged anomalies to the media.
Fernandez, speaking during the Media In Action forum last week, said the majority is already looking into the filing of the two possible cases before the end of the year when apprised of Lim’s challenge two weeks ago. .
“Pinag-aaralan sana namin na kung maari hindi na i-file yung kaso. But since sabi ninyo na we are being dared to file the cases, that’s what we will do,” he said when asked to react to Councior Lim’s earlier challenge.
Also present during the forum were Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez and Councilors Luis Samson Jr., Alvin Coquia and Karlos Reyna, all members of the majority.
One of the issues raised during the budget deliberation was the P17 million calamity fund issued during the onslaught of typhoon “Juan” last year which the majority councilors said was done without a declaration of a State of Calamity from the local legislative body as required by law.
The calamity fund has yet to be fully liquidated by the mayor’s office.
Another alleged irregularity unearthed was the overpriced purchase of some commodities such as noodles, sugar, evaporated milk, and chocolate drink among others, which were used for the city government’s feeding program for malnourished children.
Fernandez said the two alleged anomalies were uncovered when the majority in the city council conducted a diligent review of the city mayor office’s fund disbursements during the budget hearing early this year.
It was Samson who called attention to the purchases of overpriced goods for the feeding program.
NOT ANTI-POOR
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Fernandez refuted an earlier claim of Councilor Lim that the 2011 budget approved by the council was “anti-poor”.
“How can it be called anti-poor when we scrutinized the budget to make sure that this will benefit the majority of the people of Dagupan?” she said
The vice mayor pointed out that the proposed executive budget of Mayor Lim was not transparent and was ambiguous on how the funds would be spent. She said the failure of the department heads to appear during the budget hearing owing to the mayor’s “gag order” prevented the city council from being enlightened on the plans for the proposed budget.
On the issue of why the SP did not extend financial assistance to this year’s Bangus Festival Executive Committee, Samson said “it is simply because the committee did not ask for it.”
Reyna, for her part, clarified that Councilor’s Lim’s allegation that the SP did not act on his own proposed ordinances was due to Lim’s own failure or refusal to get prior endorsement at the committee level, a standard procedure in legislation.
Atty. Gonzalo Duque, PPC president, said the first round of the “debate” series on Dagupan City was won by the minority by default, while the second was won by the majority also by default.
“Regardless of who was in default, what mattered were how the statements and positions were clarified when confronted in a “no-hold-barred” forum with the local media, so the people may know and understand the issues and controversies better,” Duque said.
He expressed elation over the conduct of the club’s forum which he said is proving to an effective neutral forum for debates on public affairs. –LM
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