Garcia blames Hontiveros anew over budget flaws

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia hit Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros anew over budget inconsistencies flagged by the Department of Budget and Management-(DBM) 7, showing the proposal books, which he stressed cannot be reviewed in just a day.

They are, however, eyeing the submission of a reconsideration for the flagged items.

Garcia made these remarks in a press conference yesterday, following a meeting with department heads. He added that they reviewed the budget ordinance again.

During the same press conference, he presented two bound books that contain the budget ordinance and the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) for 2025.

“Baga kaayo no? Baga jud kaayo ni maong it will really take quite some time if you’re the mayor, then inig balik ani nimo, because you will sign it..so ing-ani ka baga kay daghan kaayog mga items,” Garcia said, referring to the books he was holding.

Garcia submitted a P17.9 billion budget proposal that was trimmed down to P14.6 billion by the city council.

It may be recalled that during the last weeks of December 2024, Garcia went on leave, placing Hontiveros in the role of acting mayor, including during the approval of the annual budget.

According to Garcia, the proper procedure should allow the city mayor to review all the items that were trimmed down in order to exercise veto or line-item veto powers.

In line with this, he stressed that reviewing the whole proposal requires “due diligence.” Personally, Garcia said it would take him two to three days to review the entire document.

Garcia then raised the possibility that the budget ordinance was printed after the council deliberated and approved it on the same day—possibly beyond office hours or even the next day, which was a Saturday, a non-working day.

It can be remembered that Hontiveros signed the approved and deliberated budget on a Saturday, defending that it was to avoid a reenacted budget.

“Can you just actually review, ing-ani ka bag-a in less than 12 hours?” asked Garcia.

In a previous statement to The Freeman, Hontiveros also clarified that the budget ordinance had only five pages, hence the shorter time required to review it.

Garcia, on the other hand, agreed that while the budget items were bound in a book, the budget ordinance that needed to be signed consisted of only a few pages.

“But as mayor, you have to review gi trim down gud… then you also have to compare it to the AIP so that you will know kung sakto pa imong pag trabaho or dili,” said Garcia.

“It should have been reviewed, not just signed,” Garcia added.

He further stated that while signing may be easy, reviewing requires a lot more time and effort, emphasizing that a trimmed budget needs to be thoroughly checked. According to him, despite only taking on the role of acting mayor, Hontiveros should have exercised the same authority as the mayor, which includes reviewing the budget—a task that affects the city’s operations.

As Garcia previously mentioned that they would remedy the situation as they are now preparing a letter to seek reconsideration from DBM-7.

“I just have to review the letter, then I will send it to the DBM,” said Garcia.

Garcia has earlier welcomed the move to address the inconsistencies in the 2025 annual budget of the Cebu City government, but said he couldn’t help but point out to the hasty approval made by Hontiveros in his capacity as acting mayor, which may have left room for an “unthorough” review.

DBM-7 reviewed the approved P14.6 billion 2025 annual budget, flagging and declaring some items inoperative.

As indicated in the review, the DBM acknowledged compliance with the laws cited in the budget ordinances. However, they identified appropriations totaling P79,705,000 that were deemed inoperative due to inconsistencies with the city government’s corresponding AIP.

Hontiveros, however, defended what he had approved, saying he merely trusted the judgment of the City Council and emphasized that it was the Office of the Mayor and the Executive Department that prepared the overall budget proposal.

Garcia had earlier questioned whether there was proper transmission of the trimmed budget ordinance, especially since Hontiveros signed it on a non-working day. — (FREEMAN)