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.
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