JVR'S veto overruled on 9-2 vote, City Council prevails in budget war

CEBU, Philippines - The Alayon Party-dominated Talisay City Council has prevailed over Liberal Party Mayor Johnny De los Reyes in the approval of Appropriations Ordinance 2014-38-1 embodying the city's budget for this year.

A two-thirds vote of the council to override the mayor's veto was easily achieved in yesterday's session. The council voted 9-2.

From the original P1.081 billion proposed by De los Reyes, the budget was down to P539.941 million.

In favor of the override were Councilors Richard Francis Aznar, Socrates Fernandez, Doroteo Emit, Gerald Anthony "Didi" Gullas III, Edward Alesna, Antonio Bacaltos, Danilo Caballero, Aldin Diaz and ABC president Raul Cabañero.

Councilors Valeriano Ylanan and Dennis Basillote voted against overriding the mayor's veto.

Ylanan and Basillote are allied with De los Reyes' Liberal Party while Caballero and Diaz, who also belong to LP, sided with the majority bloc Alayon.

In a 16-page veto message dated January 26, De los Reyes said the council was acting "ultra vires" or beyond its legal power in a way that was "prejudicial" to public welfare.

De los Reyes, in his veto message, answered "point by point" the issues raised by the council regarding the slashed budget items. The mayor said the executive department has done its part in crafting the budget according to existing laws.

He said, "the legislative department did its part by enacting the appropriation ordinance but with reduction without taking into consideration a sound judicious and deliberate evaluation as to the ceiling of its reduction, (whether or not) it will affect the regular delivery of services in every department and office."

De los Reyes urged the council to exercise their function "objectively" so that the public will not suffer from the slashed budget.

Ylanan defended the veto's message of the mayor, especially on the slashing of the intelligence fund from P10 million to P100,000, saying that the slashed items clearly manifested lack of knowledge about the council's functions as legislators.

Ylanan added that the use of the intelligence fund is justifiable based on the regulation as follows: 30 percent of the peace and order and the three percent of the annual appropriations, whichever is lower.

Ylanan said the slashing will affect the poor especially the senior citizens since.

But Fernandez said there is no truth to the argument of Ylanan because the budget was not slashed lower than the previous year.

In 2014, the council approved a budget of P516 million without cuts.

"Wala'y binuang sa paglaslas sa budget. Anything claim against us that we are anti-poor is a lie," Fernandez said.

Fernandez said supplemental budgets can be passed by the council later if the mayor and the executive department will request them.

Alesna, the council chairman of the Committee on Budget and Finance, said the P539 million approved budget was more realistic.

Alesna said the mayor even inserted the appropriation for the new Tabunok Public Market's construction amounting to P350 million even if the council already scrapped the authority given to De los Reyes to enter into a loan agreement with a bank.

Emit, on the other hand, said there is no truth to the allegations that the appropriations for senior citizens are being slashed.

"The budget for the senior citizens is intact and without cut," Emit said, adding that the senior citizens were appropriated P9.2 million this year, up from 2014's P2 million.

For his part, Villarante said with the override of the mayor's veto, the approved executive budget in the amount of P539 million will take effect immediately. (FREEMAN)