PB member questions fund share

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) yesterday approved this year’s first supplemental budget totaling to P297 million, which includes the Legislative Assistance Fund (LAF) for the board members.

But Third District Board Member Raul Bacaltos questioned the subsidy allocation for the board members.

Bacaltos said his name was not included in the replenishment of the 2016 financial assistance to PB members amounting to P3,142,600.

The amount has been set aside for nine PB members, including Celestino "Tining" Martinez III, P900,000; Victoria "Tata" Corominas-Toribio, P540,800; Glen Bercede, P477,000; Earl Tidy Oyas, P400,000; Edsel Galeos, P375,000; Sun Shimura, P264,000; Thadeo Jovito "Jonkie" Ouano, P90,000; Yolanda Daan, P70,000; and Horacio Franco, P25,000.

“Where’s the name of SP (Sangguniang Panlalawigan) Bacaltos?” he asked.

Provincial Budget Officer Danilo Rodas, in yesterday’s regular session, explained that the financial aid for Bacaltos and that of five other PB members is incorporated in a separate item amounting to P2,484,000.

Of the amount, Rodas said, Bacaltos will get P130,000; Daan, P100,000; Galeos, P765,000; Toribio, P250,000; Sybico, P189,000; and Oyas, P150,000.

“This is regarding the replenishment of the 2016 financial assistance but was not released, but reprocessed this year. Just to replenish the budget for 2017, we accommodated the replenishment by way of a supplemental budget,” Rodas said.

Bacaltos, however, further asked Rodas how the budget allocation was arrived at as it seemed that his share was “not that big.”

Rodas, in response, said the budget was based on the PB’s reprocessed obligation requests (ObRs) for the payment of financial assistance.

Bacaltos also inquired why his unspent aid last year amounting to P500,000 was not incorporated in the reprocessed subsidy.

He said he had two resolutions last year for the release of financial assistance for his district.

To this, Rodas responded that “the unspent budget last year is actually not part of the reprocessed amount. Ang gi-replenish nato kay kadtong wala na-release last year kay naa problema sa documents and naabtan ta sa closing of books.”

“Coordinate lang sa office board (Bacaltos) aron ma-reconcile imong concern. Di man ni problema,” he assured.

Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, the presiding officer, said Bacalto’s resolutions may not have had ObRs so he was not given funding.

“We did our best aron mahabol ni (financial aid). Everything is above board, we made sure of that. Kani naa’y ObRs and duly signed basi tong imo wala naandaman,” she said.

Instead of questioning the allocation, Magpale said the PB members should thank Governor Hilario Davide III for still allocating budget for them.

“Accommodation ni Gov. Honestly, we have to thank him for that. Wa na baya gyod unta ni. Di ni allowed because this was declared unconstitutional,” she said, referring to the Supreme Court's decision declaring LAF unconstitutional as if violates the principle of separation of powers and the principle of non-delegability of legislative power.  (FREEMAN)