BAYAMBANG—The local government will have to operate under a reenacted budget until the office of the municipal mayor satisfactorily explains the questionable items in the proposed budget, among them a budget item for a project that was completed in 2013.

The councilors refused to approve the town’s proposed 2016 P220 million annual budget in their recent session, and also asked Mayor Ricardo Camacho to fully comply with the documentary requirements under the local government code.

Councilor Levin Uy, chair of the committee on budget and appropriations said the recommendation for the local government to operate under reenacted budget temporarily was based on the committee hearings conducted last October 12, November 9, December 14, December 21 and December 28 last year and January 8 this year.

“We chose the reenacted budget because of so many loopholes but we’d like to clarify that the budget of the barangays is not affected at all”, said Mr. Uy.

He said the committee questioned the inclusion of P15 million in the Annual Investment Plan (AIP), as an allocation for the payment of the construction of public market block III that was already completed in 2013.

“That should have been settled already since it was a project in 2013”, said Mr. Uy adding that the SB members were not satisfied with the explanation of the municipal engineer.

“There were no procurement documents, no job contracts and we (SB) did not even issue an authorization to the mayor to engage in such contract. This is a clear violation of the Procurement Act of the Philippines”, Mr. Uy said.

The committee also asked the executive to comply with sections 314 chapter 3 on budgeting of local government code which requires the statement of income and the total appropriation covering the current operating expenditures and capital outlays, a budget message of the local chief executive and the summary of financial statement.

He said the committee also again questioned the alleged excessive fund allocation for various services, the same issue questioned by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) during last year’s budget hearing that led the majority of the SB to file an administrative case against Mayor Camacho before the SP’s committee on good government and accountability of public officers.

He added the AIP also lacks an endorsement of the Municipal Development Council and its submission was delayed.

“We just received the AIP last January 7, when it was supposedly submitted three months ago”, said Mr. Uy. The delay, he said, did not leave SB time to study the documents.

Mayor Camacho has yet to comment on the decision and allegations of the SB members at presstime. (Hilda Austria)

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