Skip to main content

The budget nooses


 Conflicts arise when personal interests collide.

This is now front and center at the Laoag City Sangguniang Panlungsod as two warring factions are duking it out for the city government's 2019 annual budget.

The budget proposal, submitted October 16, 2018, remains unpassed for months, and was disapproved via vote of 7-5 in a special session on January 3, 2019.

Though unlike in the Unites States of America where an unapproved budget results in a shutdown, Philippine laws call for an automatic reenactment of the last approved budget when this happens.

But what will happen to a local government operating on a reenacted budget?

All operations are hampered: from basic services to employee salaries and city government projects. This is so as the city government is forced to operate using last year's budget. And common sense dictates that past expenditures are usually lower than present expenditures; more so in the face of high inflation rates last year. It will more so affect all forms of public services, which are expected from the city government.

This is an easily preventable situation. The city council, after all, had more than two months to study, scrutinize and to correct possible faults and flaws in the proposed budget.

And for a faction to raise questions now to hinder the budget ordinance's passage is nothing short of politicizing the issue; we are, after all, already in the middle of election season.

Today's zeitgeist may be more about division, fanning hate and exclusion but as elected officials, they are expected to think of public welfare first and last, always and all the time.

And in light of this, the most prudent—and really best—thing to do is for the council to just pass the budget.

If there may be irregularities in the proposed budget, as the new majority avers, then they will just have to watch the implementation of the budget closer. After all, even if they do stumble upon something while they re-scrutinize the proposed 2019 budget, there will never really be anything that can do but to reprogram the funds. They cannot make any drastic changes since they do not hold the absolute majority.

As we get deeper into 2019, the noose tightens for whichever faction the public deem responsible for the dire consequences that may arise from the unpassed budget. And if this just a political ploy, the people of Laoag will see through it. And whoever ends up on the wrong end will really suffer come election day.

If our councilors really do think of the city’s residents first and foremost, then they should set aside any political animosity and just pass the 2019 budget. After all, both factions can move on from there and show who really deserve the people’s vote in the coming midterm elections.

For if there are really irregularities in the budget, the majority should give the administration enough rope to hang themselves; otherwise their continued hindering of the budget’s passage will only tighten the nooses on their collective necks.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd  of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become an annua

PIDS expert says income tax cuts justified; warns gov’t of revenue loss

Proposals to amend the personal income tax schedule appear to be well-justified. However, these proposals should include measures that will allow government to recover the revenue loss from lower income taxes. Dr. Rosario Manasan, senior research fellow of state think-tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), said at a seminar sponsored by the Philippine Senate, that government should look for new revenue measures to compensate for the projected revenue loss that will arise as a result of the implementation of any of the various proposals to restructure the personal income tax. Currently, there are several income tax reform proposals pending in both houses of Congress. All of them, according to Dr. Manasan, have the same objective of addressing the phenomenon of bracket creep, which results from “non-indexation to inflation of personal income tax brackets”. Simply put, bracket creep occurs when employees’ income increases over time as a result of inflation. Th

PGIN honors Ilocano heroes of past, present through Heroes Walk

SPO1 Allan Lampitoc Franco of Banna, Ilocos Norte and PO2 Jovalyn D. Lozano of Adams, Ilocos Norte receive a resolution of commendation, a certificate of college scholarship grant to their family members and a P20,000 cash incentive each from the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte represented by Governor Imee R. Marcos and Vice Governor Angelo M. Barba in recognition of their bravery and heroic acts in the Mamasapano clash in Maguindanao on January 25. Mr. Franco and Mr. Lozano were recognized on March 10 in time for the unveiling of the second batch of Ilocano heroes at the Heroes Walk located along the Sirib Mile in Laoag City.  (Lei Adriano) By Jennifer T. Pambid PGIN-CMO In honor of the heroes who brought freedom, fame and glory to the province as well as to the country in the past century, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Education Department and Sirib Youth Office launched the second batch of Ilocano Heroes Walk on March 10, 2015.