New majority rejects 2019 LC proposed budget

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff reporter

Laoag City—The new majority in the Sangguniang Panlungsod here has disapproved the proposed Laoag City 2019 budget during a special session on January 3, 2019 with a vote of 7-5.

“Nakakaskas-ang ngarud appo ta naayaban dagitoy maseknan a department heads ken personalities a kayat a pagdamagan dagiti kameng iti konseho ngem saan met a na maximize iti presence da”, Laoag vice Mayor and presiding officer Franklin Dante Respicio said.

Prior to the voting, city accountant Edgar Pascual, city budget officer Angeline Castro, city social welfare and development officer Aurora Corpuz and the Laoag City General Hospital accountant Karen Joy Acosta were invited for further inquiry regarding the income and expenditures of said hospital.

Mr. Respicio said that they should have continued the conduct of the session until the next day without adjournment so that they would have had a continuous discussion until all the concerns would be clarified. 

But due to long discussions and with the LCGH accountant unable to bring some of the documents needed, she was advised to bring with her the next time for a better flow of discussions.

However, during the discussions, Laoag councilor Shirley O. Sin stood up and said the ongoing discussions are not in the agenda for the special session.

It was at this point when Laoag Liga ng mga Barangay president and council ex-officio member Mary Michelle Louise “Mikee” V. Fariñas moved to divide the house whether to approve the budget or delay it further.

The vote

The vote was strictly along party lines as the new majority composed of councilors Handy Lao, Portia Salenda, Roque Benjamin Ablan, Ferdinand Domingo, Edison Bonoan, Justin Chua and newly appointed councilor Michael Keon voting against the measure.

The minority councilors: Shirley O. Sin, Roger John Fariñas, Edison Siazon and ex-officio members Ms. Fariñas and Sangguniang Kabataan Laoag president Faye Lao voted for the measure.

The vice mayor, however, said in the decision that “Yes, I just clarified the votation that the Hon. Lao has objected to the budget in favor of deferment and the ruling is that the motion pertaining to the passage of the budget is lost.”

Ms. Fariñas’ motion, however was whether to approve the budget or delay it further.

Mrs. Sin, in the January 7, 2019 session, also stressed that the proposed budget was not presented by its author, herself who is also the finance committee chairperson, and thus the voting for the budget’s passage was null and void.

The new majority, led by Mr. Keon, however, voted in the January 7, session to approve the January 3, 2019 special session’s minutes, and thus the voting that disapproved the budget.

New majority’s issue

Apparently, the new majority, with Mr. Bonoan as the spearhead, wanted to discuss the LCGH income for 2018 as well as the discounts it gave to patients.

They also wanted to know if the city hospital needs more funding from the city government.

Meanwhile, Mr. Respicio disclosed that he initiated meetings with the new majority during the Christmas break where he encouraged them to restudy the budget and propose their respective amendments on issues where they want to make their recommendations.

He added that the new majority disapproved the budget simply because they still want to clarify certain issues.

“Adda point daytoy palawlawagan ni apo Bonoan ken adda met point ni apo Fariñas ta kayat na nga maipasan no wen ken mabalin ta kasapulan met ngamin dagiti tattao iti siyudad iti Laoag appo,” he explained.

He also maintained that the vice mayor can call a special session anytime so they can continue to discuss the proposed budget but focusing only on Mr. Bonoan’s concerns.

“Ta ammu tayo a kasapulan met a talaga iti siyudad iti Laoag a maaprubaranen tay budget tapnu fully functional’en appo tay operations iti goyerno iti siyudad iti Laoagen appo,” he added.        “Hopefully saan kuma met a kasta appo ta iti tiempo iti pulitika ket ababa laeng appo. At this point in time, we should bear in mind is the welfare of the inhabitants of the city which we have sworn to serve and protect,” Mr. Respicio said reacting to rumors that the disapproval was just a “delaying tactic” of the new majority in the rundown to the midterm elections in May.