2025 Annual Budget Mess: Dondon is solely to blame - Garcia

CEBU, Philippines —  Amid inconsistencies flagged in Cebu City’s 2025 annual budget, Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia stood by his claim that Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros is solely to be blamed for the mess.

While Garcia welcomed the move to address the problem, he pointed to the hasty approval by Hontiveros, who was acting mayor at the time, as a potential cause for the lack of a thorough review.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in Central Visayas declared as inoperative several items from the approved P14.6 billion annual budget of the city.

According to the DBM, although the city complied with relevant legal provisions in its budget ordinance, appropriations totaling P79,705,000 were found to be inconsistent with the Annual Investment Plan (AIP).

Hontiveros defended his actions, saying he trusted the City Council's judgment and stressed that the budget proposal was prepared by the Office of the Mayor and the executive department.

Garcia, in a separate interview on Friday, reiterated that approval was a crucial part of the process.

“It’s true nga akoy naghimo sa budget but sya man gud ang nag-approve, ako ang naghimo sa budget and council ang nag-approve,” said Garcia.

He argued that if the City Council had proposed changes, it should have sent the revised budget back to his office for review.

“Pero nahulog man gud nga ang council naghimo sa corrections, and as acting mayor (Hontiveros), sya ra say nag-approve diba, sa daling salita, ang council ug si Vice Mayor Hontiveros maoy last touch,” he added.

Garcia further criticized the Council’s handling of the budget, saying it should have exercised “due diligence” and noted that Hontiveros had only one day to review and sign the approved version.

He said a budget ordinance cannot be thoroughly reviewed in just one day, suggesting the rushed approval was deliberate—meant to allow Hontiveros to sign it before Garcia returned from leave and had the chance to review or veto it.

According to Garcia, had the ordinance not been signed so quickly, he would have had the opportunity to examine it himself.

“So of course there’s no other person to blame but him (Hontiveros), syay last,” he said.

Garcia acknowledged DBM-7’s findings and said the city would review the flagged items. However, he noted that since only a portion of the budget was declared inoperative, the city can still function using the remaining appropriations.

It can be recalled that Garcia was on leave in the last weeks of December 2024, during which Hontiveros assumed the role of acting mayor—including during the budget’s approval.

Garcia previously questioned whether the transmission of the trimmed budget ordinance was properly handled, especially since it was signed on a non-working day.

He also raised concerns about whether Hontiveros had sufficient time to thoroughly review the ordinance.

Reports stated that the City Council, in a vote of 8-7, approved the trimmed P14.6 billion budget—down from the executive department’s original P17.9 billion proposal—during a hybrid special session on December 27, 2024. Hontiveros confirmed he signed the budget the following day after reviewing it with his legal counsel and SP Secretariat Lawyer Charisse Piramide.

He maintained that he signed the ordinance in line with the process and acted promptly to avoid a reenacted budget. Hontiveros had earlier explained that his decision was guided by the majority in the City Council, led by then Acting Vice Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. He said the expedited approval was made in “good faith” to prevent disruption to the city’s 2025 operations.

He also argued that many of the flagged items originated from the executive budget submitted by the Office of the Mayor, not the Council.

Hontiveros emphasized that the City Council exercised its mandate and scrutinized the budget thoroughly. As acting mayor, he said he merely observed the process and signed the ordinance in accordance with the law. (CEBU NEWS)