AC councilor Amos Rivera
ANGELES CITY — For “lack of basis and supporting documents,” the P1.1-billion supplemental budget passed by the sangguniang panlungsod has come under questioning by one of the council members.
Councilor Amos B. Rivera on Friday said that he “consistently abstained to vote for the approval of SB-01” along with Councilor Thelma Indiongco specifically “for lack of basis to support the decision.”
The city council approved the budget realignment for the SB-01 during its regular session on Feb. 9 through Resolution No. 9374 s-2021 while an appropriation, Ordinance No. 343 s-2021, was passed on April 13.
Rivera said that he filed a motion on April 13 to re–calendar SB-01 “to give ample time to review the documents” he has requested, but the majority members declined the said motion.
According to Rivera, the budget realignment was for the unreleased balance amounting to a total of P884.1 million from the P1.43-billion term loan of the previous administration of Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan for the supposed construction of the city hall, sports complex, and multi-level parking building.
Rivera added that these projects from the previous administration were not continued as they were not the priority of the current administration.
“Anyang mig-exit ya (Pamintuan), atin mitagan P884.1-M. Prerogative ning incumbent mayor nung ituloy na la or ali. So legally speaking, pwede lang ma-realign detang loan projects provided nung detang contractors karetang binanggit kung projects mabisa la. Kasi anyang me-approve ya ing loan a yan, me-approve la rin reng projects through proper bidding. Each of those projects has its own contractor,” said Rivera.
“So atin mitagan amount uling karetang binanggit kung projects partial mobilization funds la retang me-release kareta mapilan na projects na (Pamintuan) except ketang multi-level parking na alang bitasang me-release karin,” he added.
Questionable P884-M
Rivera pointed out that part of the SB-01 he is questioning in particular is the P884.1 million, of which P474.1 million was earmarked for the construction of the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center, P100 million for the procurement of hospital equipment, and P210 million for the improvement of City College of Angeles, as well as a balance of P100 million realignment, as these projects do not have supporting documents such as project design, drawing plan, list of medical equipment, and estimation which are needed for review by the council prior approval to justify the amount.
“We are talking about taxpayers’ money. Ali naman pwede ing metung councilor kabud na mu mag-approve metung a bage keng agenda, more so makanyan ya karagul ing amount and then ala kang basis. There should be project design first to justify the amount. That’s automatic,” he said.
“Interestingly, bakit atin sobrang P100 million balance na ala naman sinabi ketang realignment project nung cancel ya ampo ali itang multi-level parking. Nung palub me sana itang multi-level (parking building), magkasya ya leaving a remaining balance of P40 million. But at the same time, if it is a loan, why is there a remaining balance?” he furthered. “Nokarin da la ibat deng amount a ren? Ala man listahan nanu lang medical equipment bitasa or nanung klaseng construction or improvement. Nokarin de ibat itang P100 million to procure equipment, menula la?”
Rivera also questioned the prioritization and urgency of the supplemental budget as the city government had loaned P600 million for the procurement of the Covid-19 vaccines when there is already an approved unreleased budget from the previous administration.
“Atin palang P1.1 billion na agaran na magamit sana inuna da no pa retang procurement of Covid-19 vaccines and/or construction of quarantine isolation facilities na pwede ta nang agamit kareng existing approved loans uling last January mig-apply lang loan amounting to P600 million for the procurement of the Covid-19 vaccines,” he said.
Rivera, who belongs to the minority bloc, hopes for transparency and due process in the current administration as the supporting documents needed for the construction of the RLMMC, procurement of medical equipment, and improvement of the CCA were not provided prior to its passing to justify the amount for the budget realignment but no documents were provided thus far.
