MAJORITY WITHDREW DILATORY TACTIC

THE Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod finally passed the resolution adopting the Supplemental Investment Program (AIP) 1 of P148.98 million submitted by Mayor Belen Fernandez but after the majority attempted to suspend anew by insisting on introducing an amendment to adding P100,000 or more to the P500,000 budget for sports under the Special Education Fund (SEF).

The proposed amendment of Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia, chair of the SP committee on finance, budget and appropriation, making the P500,000 allotted for sports be increased to P600,000 would have required the Supplemental AIP 1 to be returned to the Local Development Council (LDC) for approval.

Erfe-Mejia said many athletes approached members of the majority asking for help since they could not get the support from the city mayor, and challenged the minority to support the move to provide a bigger budget to sports of the Department of Education.

It will be recalled that the first AIP of P1.5 billion was belatedly passed by the SP majority in April this year after it adopted P864.98 million as 2023 annual budget last April, while the Region 1 Athletic Association (R1AA) was only few days away that  effectively deprived the city athletes of any financial support.

Councilor and Minority Floor Michael Fernandez vehemently opposed the move since the P500,000 for sports in the ESF was passed and approved by the City School Board, and  approved by the LDC for adoption.

The ESF is the two percent mandatory share of education from the income of Dagupan that is being used not only for sports but also in the construction of school buildings, office supplies and equipment and other needs of public schools, he added.

In other words, he said, the fund is is no longer the money of the city but already of the City Schools Division through the City School Board as he pointed out that the City Schools Division cannot use the fund unless the Supplemental AIP 1 is passed.

Fernandez seized the opportunity to move for the adoption of the resolution proposing the supplemental AIP 1 on second reading, and was passed eventually with support of the majority, after pointing out that the Supplemental AIP 1 cannot be amended for any reason.

Erfe-Mejia denied the majority was amending the AIP but merely proposing the return of the AIP to the LDC, said he merely wanted the measure to be referred back to LDC and then to the City School Board.

The minority councilors also pointed out that not all the city athletes who won gold medals in R1AA will go to the Palarong Pambansa since they will still go through rigid screening like other gold medalists in Region 1. So the P500,000 allotted to is already more than sufficient. The Palarong Pambansa slated for July 24  to August 2 to be hosted by Marikina City. (Leonardo Micua)

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