Slashed supplemental budget, Margot: Urgent items were only approved

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Margarita Osmeña has clarified that the Council only approved the items in the supplemental budget that are urgent.

Osmeña, chairman of the committee on budget and finance, told The Freeman that the election ban on projects was not part of the report of the Local Finance Committee .

She said that the council only approved  the P124.91 million appropriation fund mainly basing on the city's financial sources.

"We decided on what was urgent and necessary. We prioritize on appropriating funds for the salaries of the casual employees  working in city hall, making them happy. Bahala na ma angry ang mga judges kaysa ma hungry ang mga employees, " Osmeña earlier said.

But Rama argued that the council should have approved items he was proposing as it will only be implemented after the barangay election or after the ban is lifted.

“Di kabuhat og budget nga i-implement after. Unsa may problema ana? Labi na karon nga crisis ug ang dalan importante kaayo. Kun naay problema. (source of fund) pangitaan unta og sulbad,” he added.

The city government has yet to reach the P6.4 billion collection target for this year. The actual collection of the city as of October 14 is amounting to P3.9 million.With this, the council decided not to include the business tax collection of P106 million.

"Unsa may problema nila nga problema man na sa executive (hitting collection target) We know how to manage, that is why we survive," Rama said.

Rama is seeing a possibility to submit another supplemental budget to incorporate all the items which have no appropriations yet, but he will be meeting first with the LFC.

Earlier, Rama has threatened to bring to the court’s attention the slashing of the P256 supplemental budget by the City Council.

The council on Thursday has slashed the SB-2 to P124.91 million, more than half of the original amount in the statement of supplemental appropriations of P256.86-million.—(FREEMAN)