Of P400M for cops, et al P238M unused

CEBU, Philippines - It is almost the end of the year but over half of this year’s appropriation for the Cebu City’s Peace and Order Program has still not been utilized yet.

Over P238.9 million is recorded as the balance out of P400.5 million approved appropriation of the program under its Status of Appropriations, Obligations and Balances as of October 15, 2015. This was revealed during the budget hearing yesterday by the City Council.

Unused appropriations include P50 million for the Cebu City Police Office building, P17 million to renovate the firing range, P12 million for the firefighting equipment, P28 million for various police equipment and P93 million for motor vehicles for the peace and order program, among others.

With this, members of the City Council, who were present during yesterday’s budget hearing, questioned why the substantial amount was not used.

“Ang nakapait, naa gyud budget. Wala lang nagamit,” said Councilor Margarita Osmeña, chairwoman of the council’s committee on budget and finance.

Cebu City Police Office Deputy Director for Administration Superintendent Artemio Ricabo said a possible reason for the unimplemented projects or unused budget is because of the processing of the requests.

He said their office has been submitting requests to the Office of the Mayor to procure the listed projects and items under the budget this year. However, Ricabo said the office is confused on whom to approach to process the documents.

He said the office has to get the permission of a certain Hernane Cañete, who is the city’s Peace and Order Program administrative aide.

Ricabo said he does not know Cañete and added that CCPO has not received updates on the requests.

The councilors also noted that there were projects and programs included in the proposed budget for the Peace and Order Program which have not been consulted with the police.

City Budget Office Marietta Gumia said most of the requests were prepared by Cañete and noted by City Councilor David Tumulak. With this, councilors tried to invite both Cañete and Tumulak to yesterday’s budget hearing but they were not available to attend.

For next year the city’s Peace and Order Program asked for P278 million, which is lower that this year’s P400.5 million.

The program asked for P15 million for the renovation of Cebu City Police Stations for stations 5, 7 and 11. However, Ricabo said the police chiefs of the mentioned police stations did not request for the renovation.

Another proposed budget is P3.5 million for the construction of a police detachment in Barangay Agsungot, but Councilor Alvin Arcilla questioned this proposal since there are more secluded mountain barangays that do not yet have a police detachment.

He asked the police to put a detachment either in Barangay Lusaran or Cambinocot.

The Peace and Order Program also zeroed the item under firefighting equipment and accessories. Osmeña said the City Council cannot put any amount in the item since it was zeroed.

From P28 million for this year’s various police equipment, the executive department proposed P5 million.

With the unspent items under this year’s appropriation, Osmeña asked Ricabo about their priorities for next year.

Any amount that will not be spent by the end of the year will be zeroed.

Ricabo said the police office needs the proposed P8.6 million in communication equipment. He said the office is eyeing to have one radio for each of 1,247 policemen in the city for better communication and quick response. One radio costs P50,000 each, he said.

Osmeña then said the proposed budget cannot suffice to give one radio to each policeman in the city.

When asked if the office was consulted on the proposed budget next year, Ricabo said he was not able to attend and is also not sure if CCPO acting chief Marciano Batiancela Jr. attended  a meeting.

She asked Ricabo to sit with Archival and discuss what the police office needs.

“We assure the PNP that we are supportive of your needs. And we have approved the aforementioned appropriations. Many of which have both been used of substantial amounts. Hopefully, you would understand what the deliberations are all about,” Osmeña said. —/BRP (FREEMAN)