CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Vice Gov. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao has expressed confidence that the recall petition against Gov. Eddie Panlilio will push through despite the reported lack of funds.
In an interview after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) regular session on Monday, Guiao said they were “happy to note” that the national government through the annual General Appropriation Act (GAA) could fund the recall elections once it gets approval from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“We learned from today’s session that the Comelec are required to look for funds if it finds the petition meritorious,” said Guiao, who presided over the SP en banc hearing attended by Comelec Regional Director Zoilo Perlas Jr. and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Director IV Elisa Salon.
Salon, in her recent letter-reply to Provincial Budget Officer Nida Manalad, quoted the expenses incident to recall elections of the Comelec to answer the query of Manalad regarding the proposed SP ordinance allotting P25 million for the recall elections.
“Section 75 provides that all expenses incident to recall elections shall be borne by the Comelec. For this purpose, there shall be included in the annual General Appropriation Act z contingency fund at the disposal of the Comelec for the conduct of recall elections,” said Salon in her letter dated October 27.
But Salon, in the same letter, said the “appropriation of the Twenty Million Pesos (P25,000,000) for the recall election is not among the statutory and contractual obligation of an LGU under the Local Government Code (LGC).
“In summary and as was clearly elucidated in the previous paragraphs, preparation of budgets, whether annual or supplemental, is a function of the local chief executive. Therefore, any proposed ordinance directing payment of the money or creating liability, such as this one, which does not emanate from the provincial governor is bereft of legal basis and therefore not sanctioned by the Code,” it added.
Perlas said the Comelec has P5 million budget left and it needs at least P40 million should the recall elections gets underway.
Guiao said “they are not totally convinced that the SP could not provide funds for the recall elections.”
Senior Board Member Cris Garbo, for his part, said “they just hold in abeyance the proposed budget for the special elections.” He added that they will just wait for the decision of the Comelec en banc regarding the legality of the P25 million budget proposed by the SP.
