Bohol's three congressmen were at the receiving end yesterday of a sharp rebuke from the tongue of City Mayor Dan Neri Lim for doing nothing to stop the “robbery” of Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) of cities in favor of provincial capitals trying to make a short cut to city hood. Speaking through his weekly radio program Ang Mayor sa Dakbayan over Station DYTR, the irrepressible city mayor lambasted Reps. Edgar Chatto, Roberto Cajes and Adam Relson Jala for allowing the Congress approval of House Bill No. 24. The House bill wiggled out of the legislative wringer without any protestation from Bohol's three congressmen thereby robbing cities of their much needed IRAs. The bill which is awaiting Senate nod, allows the conversion of provincial capitals into cities, without benefit of complying to requirements like population, size and income. It's just like being robbed with your eyes open.

This was how Mayor Lim described the bill approved in Congress which seeks to exempt capital towns of provinces without cities from requirements of city hood. In the forefront in campaigning against the bill is the League of Cities led by Mandaluyong Mayor Benjamin Abalos Jr. House Bill No. 24 authored by Zamboanga Sibugay Rep. Ann Hofen has been described as another attempt to railroad the passage of unwarranted cityhood bills that have long-term implications to cities and their constituencies. Rep. Hofer's interest in having the bill approved is her hometown Ipil, capital of Zamboanga Sibugay. Once the bill gains Senate approval, as provincial capital, Ipil, automatically becomes a city just like Siquijor in Siquijor. Lim said that in the case of Tagbilaran, it expects to receive P212,171,439 in IRA this year.

However, if HB 24 becomes a law, he said Tagbilaran will only receive P187,153,479.46. “This represents a difference of P25,017,959.54, by any standards a lot of money down the drain,” the mayor added. Lim said that losing roughly P25-M in one fell swoop is like “being robbed with your eyes open.”  The mayor expressed outrage over this latest snafu in Congress that threatens to reduce the IRA and therefore the income of Tagbilaran. “I will have little to do with the other congressmen because they have their respective constituencies to make them accountable,” he added.  Lim however said he is particularly incensed with the Boholano solons who did not do anything to stop this latest threat to the coffers of the city. Just last month, another bill authored by the three Boholano solons creating the Bohol Island State University (Bisu) came under fire from many sectors because it virtually turned over assets of the provincial government to the school for a song. As a consequence, the reduction in the assets also means a diminished IRA for Bohol . "I do not know why they are doing this to Tagbilaran,” the mayor asked.

Lim said the city has not benefited from the pork barrel of Rep. Edgar Chatto except perhaps for those given to his political lieutenants. Not contended with that, Lim said his failure to oppose HB 24 threatens to make life more difficult to Tagbilaran given the potential reduced IRA. The mayor said one of the possible victims of HB 24 is city hall workers. “There is a very real possibility of massive lay-offs of casual workers and the adverse effects on the new Salary Standardization Law,” he warned. Lim said that with the potential deficit of P25-M, other basic services might be threatened as a result. “We have not bothered them with our needs. Now, they are conspiring with those who seek to reduce the funds that rightfully belong to us,” he lamented. Lim called on city residents to join him in opposing this potential threats not only because it will adversely affect them but because “enough is enough”.