Thus, said Porac mayoral candidate Councilor Mike Tapang referring to incumbent Mayor Condralito “Carling” Dela Cruz as he challenged him to come clean and make a detailed public report on the financial expenditures of the municipality.
Tapang hurled the challenged on Wednesday during the “Talk Widus” media forum organized by the Pampanga Press Club in cooperation with Widus Hotel and Casino here at the hotel’s Prism Lounge.
“It is very clear that there should be a detailed reporting of the municipality’s expenditures from the chief executive,” said Tapang.
He said even at present, the mayor has not made a state of the municipality address (SOMA) which is mandated by law.
Tapang said he is also urging the Department of the Interior and Local Government to direct the mayor to make a SOMA as he made an assurance that as soon as Dela Cruz makes a SOMA they will approve the budget for 2016.
Tapang said he is just wondering why Dela Cruz is asking for a bigger budget for gasoline, oil and lubricants from P1.4 million in 2015 to P2.5 million for the current year when the price of gasoline has considerably gone down to the lowest level in years.
Municipal Councilor Regin Clarete, vice chair of the Appropriations Committee, said Mayor Dela Cruz should defend the 2016 budget before the sangguniang bayan.
“The 2016 budget is P270 million but there are certain items which we feel are excessive,” he said. “The mayor should explain why is he asking this much.”
Among the items in the proposed 2016 budget that are deemed excessive are under the Office of the Mayor particularly in the Non-Office budget, Clarete said.
Tapang said since he sits both in the SB and the sangguniang panlalawigan as councilor and board member respectively, he has a comparison as to how money is requested and spent by Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda which go directly to the beneficiaries unlike in Porac where the executive always requests for lump sum appropriations.
“Like donations and grants of P14 million, who are the recipients of these?” he asked.
Tapang said he also wants to know the beneficiary barangays from the 20 percent development fund of P41 million.
He said Dela Cruz has stated that they give P150,000 to each barangay but based on their own computation, that will amount to a total for 29 barangays of only P4,350,000. “What happened to the excess?” he asked.
Tapang also raised the issue of solid waste management which he said is mismanaged.
“We have P3 million budget but for 2016 they are asking for P8 million,” he said. But he said they got a certification from the Kalangitan Sanitary Landfill in Capas, Tarlac that Porac only paid P500,000 in 2014 and the same amount in 2015 and in 2013 Porac only paid a measly P8,000. Tapang said they are also asking Dela Cruz on the status of his nephew Ronald Escoto. “What is his legal personality in the municipality for reimbursing meals in the amount of P46,000 and even P50,000?” “We are even wondering why Abe’s Farm in Magalang is charging the municipality for spa services,” Tapang remarked.
“These are all found in the COA report in its website,” he said.
No case
However, Tapang admitted that he has not filed a case with the Ombudsman against Dela Cruz, saying: “We are still giving him the benefit of the doubt.”
But these are just among the things that needed to be clarified by the mayor, he added.
Tapang and Clarete were accompanied in the forum by Councilors Rey Lapid, Rafael Canlapan and Arturo Lusung, and former Mayor Roger Santos who is now running for vice mayor.
