ONLY 7% APPROVED BY OPPOSITION

AFTER the majority seven in the Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod reduced the city hall’s proposed Supplemental Budget from P599 million to just P42 million, in another move to sabotage her administration, Mayor Belen Fernandez said she will sign and approve the ordinance implementing the same once it is brought to her office.

“Walang veto. Ibalik namin ang remaining amount to LDC,” said Mayor Fernandez, in a cryptic message to The PUNCH Tuesday night.

The approved amended P42 million Supplemental Budget filed by the minority councilors will only cover terminal leave of retired employees, adjustment of salaries of employees, loyalty pay, cost of Special Service Incentive for regular employees and Gratuity Pay of job order employees, cost of adjusted employees’ contributions to Pag-IBIG Fund and aid to Sangguniang Kabataan in 31 barangays

The members of the minority bloc (Councilors Michael Fernandez, Jeslito Seen, Dennis Canto, Marcelino Fernandez and Bradly Benavidez), who authored the P599 million vehemently objected to the amendment of their proposed budget because it systematically removed funding for urgent programs and projects of Mayor Fernandez.

After only one committee hearing last April 24 with only majority in attendance as members of the Local Finance Committee attending, Councilors Redford Erfe-Mejia, Librada Reyna-Macalanda, Alfie Fernandez, Alvin Coquia, Marilou Fernandez, Celia Chua-Lim and Irene Lim- Acosta slashed P599 million (93 percent) from the original budget.

While the approved amended ordinance was met a howl of protests from the minority bloc, Mayor Fernandez and barangay captains, regular and retired employees of the city government, expressed relief that the SRI of P20,000 each (for regular employees) and Gratuity Pay of P5,000 joe each JOE will finally be paid.

Recall that the majority bloc petitioned the court to issue a Temporary Restraining Order and a prayer for Preliminary Injunction seeking Dagupan City officials from implementing the 2023 approved annual budget which they insist was illegally passed.

Both the TRO and the prayer for preliminary injunction were denied by Regional Trial Court Judge Michael Israel of Branch 76 in Dagupan City.

Mayor Fernandez is reportedly set to reconvene the LDC meeting to pass a new supplemental budget for the various programs, projects and services of her administration that the opposition rejected.

In an interview, Fernandez answered the majority bloc not to worry because surplus and savings of the city government are intact and well protected. (Leonardo Micua)

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