DELAYED PASSAGE OF 2022 BUDGET

SEVEN of the town’s members of the Sangguniang Bayan are refusing to pass the 2022 budget of Calasiao until the mayor submits the demanded documents to account for last year’s expenditures.

Demanded by the councilors are documents that show expenditures for programs that have been delivered.

During their regular session on Feb. 7, five councilors namely, Gerald Aficial, Rogelio Danoli, Liga ng mga Barangay president Mamilyn Caramat, Kevin Macanlalay and Jerald Navarro delivered their privilege speeches reiterating their call to Mayor Joseph Arman Bauzon to show the documents they have long been requesting.

Some of the projects and purchases being questioned include repair of small irrigation project system, covered court project in Poblacion East that just became a shed, road regravelling in some barangays, P10-million UV lights machines, P2-medical tent, purifier, vaccines storage, medical equipment, medical supplies and equipment that total millions of pesos.

Caramat said she is not against passing the budget “but I cannot in conscience just vote for its approval without the documents we are asking”.

Danoli who had filed charges against the mayor before the Ombudsman about other alleged anomalous transactions, expressed his “frustration” over the pressure to pass the budget without the documents.

“If only these documents were provided when these were due, the budget should have been passed long time ago,” Macanlalay said.

Aficial reminded the mayor that it is the duty of the municipal council to generate or maximize the use of resources/revenues.

“Is it that hard to produce the papers we are asking?,” Navarro asked.

The five councilors said the moment the mayor gives the documents, “we would not hesitate to approve the budget even in a special session”.

The town’s proposed 2022 budget is P388, 246, 217.35 which is 31 percent higher, or equivalent to P90-million increase than the 2021 budget.

Mayor Bauzon said he didn’t want to dignify the five councilors’ allegations but cited politicking behind their motives.

“It’s very simple… Ghost employees, ghost projects, the mayor is corrupt. Same story, it’s political season now, normal to destroy, normal to block budget because they are afraid that the sitting mayor can move to do what is right, to do his work, to serve right his townmates,” Bauzon said in Filipino. (Eva Visperas)

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