Cebu provincial board reduces 2004 budget

CEBU — In heated deliberations, provincial board members voted 10-4 the other day in favor of reducing the province’s 2004 budget from P1.283 billion to just P1 billion, thus allocating a measly P1,000 per item for basic services.

The budget pruning is expected to render the delivery of basic services inutile in the succeeding months prior to the elections.

Gov. Pablo Garcia actually found himself "pruned of his influence" by his own partymates in the provincial board.

Among those who voted in favor of the budget slash were Raul Bacaltos, Orvi Ortega, Gregorio Sanchez, Estrella Yapha, Joven Mondigo, Jose Ma. Gastardo, Josefina Patricia Asirit, Rosemarie Durano, Michael Miranda and Ramon Martin Calderon.

Those who voted against the slash were board members Antonio Almirante Jr., Manuel Masangkay, Victor Maambong and Teresita Celis.

Board member Julian Daan abstained to avoid being caught between the feuding parties.

Garcia proposed a P1.283-billion 2004 budget that included P48.2 million for the Cebu South Bus Terminal and a 20 percent allocation for district hospital operations.

But the committee on budget and appropriations, headed by Asirit, recommended only P1.012 billion for approval.

Asirit said the budget was drastically reduced apparently in a move to deprive Garcia of "funds for politicking" in the 2004 elections.

"It is not meant to trivialize the budgetary process," she said, adding that she wanted to teach Garcia and his allies a lesson that the provincial funds should be distributed proportionately.

Under the provincial capitol’s budgeting system, allocations for general services fall under the governor’s office.

From the P1.283-billion budget that Garcia originally submitted, P60 million was supposed to be allocated as subsidy for local government units and another P60 million for the improvement of roads and bridges in six congressional districts. — Freeman News Service