Despite cuts, 2015 Talisay budget higher than last year's

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante has urged Mayor Johnny De los Reyes to stop telling constituents that the slashing of budget will affect delivery of basic services.

"We have nothing to hide. Everything is transparent unlike what he (De los Reyes) presented in his press conference (which was) very misleading," Villarante said as he furnished copy of the proposed and approved summary of 2015 budget to The FREEMAN.

According to Villarante, the proposed appropriation submitted by De los Reyes was P1.081 billion. The amount included P350 million allocation for the supposed construction of new Tabunok public market.

But because the council has not given the mayor the green light to enter into a loan with a bank for the market's construction, the P350 million was eventually scrapped as well.

Villarante wanted to clarify that the amount slashed from the original budget proposed by De los Reyes was only more or less P200 million, most of which were trimmed down because of the executive department's failure to present a "justifiable breakdown" of expenses.

In the end, the approved budget for 2015 was P539.941million, which according to Villarante was still higher than 2014's P516 million.

Earlier, De los Reyes insisted that the reduced budget appropriation will leave his administration with no choice but to cut down on the delivery of basic services.

The neophyte mayor pointed out that he already exerted his efforts to convince the council on the detrimental effects of a reduced budget on the taxpayers "who expect good and efficient services for their money."

But Villarante was firm that the slashing was justified.

"We are fiscalizing the mayor. There was nothing wrong with slashing the budget for the right reason," the vice mayor added.

He added that the disagreements between the local executive and legislative departments were the result of the absence of cooperation.

Villarante was De los Reyes' runningmate in the last 2013 elections but along the way, the relationship between the two officials went sour owing to their differing stands on several issues. —  Garry B. Lao (FREEMAN)