Vetoed SB-2 terms already ‘ineffectual’

CEBU, Philippines - The two provisions in the Supplemental Budget-2 vetoed by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will be “ineffectual.”

City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, lawyer by profession, said the vetoed items — city sponsored activities and confidential or intelligence expense — will no longer be effective as provided under the law.

Section 55 (b) of the Local Government Code provides that “the vetoed item or items shall not take effect unless the Sanggunian overrides the veto…”

Last regular session, the City Council did not override but instead “noted” the vetoed portions of the second supplemental budget.

The sanggunian may override the veto of the local chief executive concerned by two-thirds vote of all its members, thereby making the ordinance effective even without the approval of the local chief executive concerned as provided for under the Local Government Code of 1991.

Mayor Michael Rama claimed that the council did not override the appropriations ordinance because “they (the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan-dominated council) don’t have the number.”

When sought what would happen to the vetoed provisions, Councilor Margarita Osmeña, who heads the Committee on Budget and Finance, said, “Nothing. We left it as it is and noted it.”

She further said the breakdown of the allocations under the city sponsored activities (P9.98 million) and confidential or intelligence expense (P100,000) will no longer be executed. However, the amount appropriated will remain as it is depending on the project implementation of the executive department.

The project proposal of the said amount, though, still needs the council’s concurrence.

Osmeña said further the executive department cannot reinstate its original proposal as the fund sources “overdraft” by more than P80 million and there was disallowance of the utilization of P257.5 million in unappropriated balance for 2014 as funding source of SB-2, after the committee was informed that collection was only P3.9 billion as of September.

“It cannot be because there’s no fund. If ever (the budget will be restored) how will they get the budget?” she asked.

The council has approved P243.7 million of the original proposal of P501.2 million.

The council approved only P100,000 of the proposed P6 million allocation for intelligence funds.

Meanwhile, the committee approved P9,981,868 (of P25 million) city sponsored activities.  (FREEMAN)