Council questions budget increases

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council questioned the P521.8-million hike in the proposed budget of the city’s Peace and Order Program after the Local Finance Committee proposed a P628.8 million allocation for the peace and order programs of the city next year, which is 587 percent higher from this year’s P106.98 million.

With the significant increase, the council is asking the members of the program to verify with the Department of Interior and Local Government whether or not the items under the P628.8 million are funded.

Councilor Margarita Osmeña, chairwoman of the committee on budget, said it is “impossible” for DILG not to allocate funds for the training, motor vehicles, infrastructure, among others for the Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection, with its P104.57 billion budget for 2015.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas reportedly told the Senate Committee on Finance, headed by Sen. Francis Escudero, that P16 billion will go the local government sector while P88 billion will be allotted for the interior sector.

Osmeña cited various projects under the Peace and Order Program, such as the construction of the Cebu City Police Building (P50 million), improvement/rehabilitation of fire sub-stations (P27 million) and Parian Fire Station (P20 million), construction of two-story “killhouse” quarters with surveillance cameras (P45 million), firefighting equipment and accessories (P189 million), motor vehicle outlay (P108 million), training expenses (P5 million), among others, which are supposed to be funded by the national government.

“Cebu is a premiere city and it is impossible if we are not included in the 2015 DILG budget. There must be funds for us,” she said.

Councilor Nida Cabrera said DILG has allocated a huge budget for the capability building of the local policemen.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo said the city should know how much budget was allotted by DILG to Cebu to avoid any form of budgetary “duplications”.

“We would like to know what are the items budgeted for the city so that we can prioritize in a way we can conserve our very limited budget,” he said.

The council has requested different agencies like DOLE, DILG, DSWD, DPWH, DepEd, CHED and TESDA to provide a list of funded projects for the city.

The council also questioned the increase of the city’s proposed intelligence fund to P25 million from the P500,000 allocation this year.

Police Superintendent Artemio Ricabo of the Cebu City Police Office said the money covers the trainings, intelligence operative, recruitment of intelligent agents, buy-bust operations and surveillance, among others.

Even though the increase of the intelligence fund is important, it is still below 30 percent of the proposed P628.8 million, which is P188 million.

Osmeña cited DILG circular provides that the total amount appropriated annually for intelligence or confidential undertakings shall not exceed 30 percent of the total amount allocated for peace and order programs, or three percent of the total annual appropriations, whichever is lower.  — Kristine B. Quintas/BRP (FREEMAN)