CITY Councilor Alexander “Aleckoy” Lim decried the alleged railroading in the passage of the city’s supplemental budget amounting to P39-million.  In a speech during the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) session on Friday, Lim said he was particularly opposed to five items in Supplemental Budget No. 3 which cannot be justified as urgent and could not wait to be included in the 2014 regular budget which is due for deliberations this week.  Even as Councilor Lim pointed out that he is not objecting the entire list of requested supplemental funding, the lawmaker criticized the “putting of malicious and unfair pressure on the city council to immediately pass the additional budget which reeks of suspicion especially with the coming barangay elections.” Finding the objections stated by Lim as meritorious, City Councilor Oscar Glovasa introduced a motion to defer the approval of the measure which was defeated by barely a vote (5-6) that consequently led to the passage of the supplemental appropriation.

Voting against the measure were City Councilors Nerio Zamora II, Lucille Lagunay, Alberta Torralba, Glovasa and Lim. While those who supported the approval were City Councilors Adam Jala, Joseph Bompat, Jeremias Pabe, Bebiano Inting, Philipp Besas and Faro Cabalit.  The SP voting surprised many political observers who expected Lim and Torralba to support the city mayor’s funding request but aligned instead with the minority bloc, which in turn, lost a vote from Besas, an ally in the opposition camp. Another member of the minority group, SK Federated President Leine Sheane Karaan failed to attend Friday’s session that could have tied the vote and brought Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso into the picture to break the impasse.

 5 OBJECTIONS

 In his speech, Lim pointed out that he is not against the supplemental budget per se, however, he proposed to slash it down by P26,328,200 in removing the following items: (1) P20-million for concreting/asphalting/rehab of roads, (2) P2-million Confidential Fund, (3) Tuition Fee Subsidy for 50 new college scholars, (4) P2-million for Hiring of Job Order Casuals, and (5) P1,828,200 for Purchase of rifles, etc. for the City PNP.  Lim explained that the allocation for the concreting/asphalting/rehab of roads is considered as a “capital project” that should not be included in the supplemental budget, but rather should be in the “capital budget” or the city’s regular appropriation for next year.  “A supplemental appropriation is typically for unforeseen budget shortfalls or expenses, or the City Government’s regular budget which should likewise be in accordance with the Annual Investment Plan (AIP). The expediency of formulating the AIP before this new administration embarks on infrastructure projects and such other capital outlays involving huge amounts from our limited funds should be given priority at this point in time since we are also constrained to adhere with the AIP which we have inherited from the previous administration,” the lawmaker said.

 According to Lim, “there is no justification that this particular item or road project is so urgent that it cannot wait to be incorporated in the regular budget of the city for 2014, of which, the Local Chief Executive (our City Mayor) is supposed to have already formulated at this point in time since Section 318 of the Local Government Code clearly prescribes that the Mayor shall submit the proposed budget to the Sanggunian not later than October 16 of the current fiscal year,” he stressed.  “Why should we include a capital project in a supplemental appropriation? Yes, we may be justified in certifying the road project as urgent, but what time constraints exist so that the road project or projects cannot be funded instead in the 2014 capital budget or next year’s regular appropriation? What difference will it make if we approve it now, or approve it in December incorporated in the 2014 budget? We are counting days, not months, that the Chief Executive must transmit to us his budget message,” Lim clarified further.

 Lim admitted he risks of being publicly criticized for his objections but clarified that “those who stand to benefit from these budget items should also understand that their legislators are expected to do what is right and legal, and not just do what is popular and acceptable to the electors.”  The city councilor calls the request for a P2-million confidential fund as “unconscionable” saying that the current fiscal year is about to end and that this appropriation may just be used as a campaign fund for the mayor’s bets in the coming barangay polls. “I am in a quandary whether the account title of ‘Confidential Fund’ is the appropriate term for this particular item since this is being included and classified under the heading ‘Peace and Order’, which gave me an impression that this is actually an ‘Intelligence Fund’ intended for our police force and not to be diverted for some other purpose. As we all know this item in our budget is strictly “under wraps” and cannot even be subjected to public scrutiny unlike most of the other appropriations. Its details can only be examined by the Commission on Audit (COA), granting the Local Chief Executive chooses to be transparent about it,” Lim added.

On the planned purchase of rifles for the City PNP with a requested amount of P1,828,200, Lim said he is questioning the item since the executive department has yet to account for some newly purchased firearms during the previous administration which were allegedly not turned-over to the city police.  “I understand that our City Police Department needs intelligence funding and equipment such as firearms. We understand that without the necessary support, our law enforcers could not ensure our safety and security,” he added.  Lim also cast doubts on appropriating money for the payment of tuition fees of 50 new city college scholars after the new administration reportedly refused to pay for the school fees of existing scholars that have been carried over from the previous administration.  “I have learned that the existing scholars have not been given their subsidy for the First Semester of this school year even though there is already an appropriation for this purpose in this year’s budget. Whether political undertones have impinged on this laudable program, I have no idea, but to appropriate a supplemental fund for fifty (50) new scholars that are being added by this new administration, is rather unfair. We should treat our scholars fairly, for them to be worthy of our financial assistance. Surely our ‘scholars’ must have gone through a set of screening process. Not being qualified or disqualified because they or their family is a political supporter of whoever,” Lim stressed.