Garcia, Gica row delays approval of Dumanjug budget

The row between the two top officials of Dumanjug town put in disarray the approval by the Provincial Board (PB) of the town’s 2014 budget.

Although already late, the PB was set to approve the town’s P70 million budget for this year last March 27, but had to defer it after a supplemental budget for one of its barangays, Balaygtiki was submitted last March 17.

Vice Mayor and now Acting Mayor Guntrano Gica said the supporting documents of their submitted budget proposal were “falsified” by Emmylou Cabonillas, the municipal council secretary designate of suspended Mayor Nelson Garcia.

Speaking at the regular session Monday, Gica said Cabonillas sent to the PB a fake copy of an approved resolution containing the town’s budget ordinance for 2014.

The said budget resolution which was approved by the municipal council in a special session held last Dec. 26, bore the name and signature of Cabonillas as secretary.

But Gica said Cabonillas was not present during the session. Instead, it was Nerio Aquino, his municipal council secretary appointee, who was taking down notes of the session’s proceedings, he said.

Garcia’s designation of Cabonillas is currently the subject of an administrative complaint filed by Gica before the PB. Garcia has been meted a 60-day suspension by Gov. Hilario Davide III last Friday because of this case.

Gica, Aquino, Garcia, Cabonillas and the rest of the town’s councilors were all invited by the PB to appear before the session last Monday.

However, Garcia and six of his allied councilors refused to grant the invitation, saying the issue regarding the town’s budget is included in the investigation of the PB’s complaints committee.

No copy of budget

Gica also alleged that they have “not seen or were given a copy of Garcia’s budget proposal.”
However, the resolution was approved with a majority vote from the six councilors allied with Garcia.

Last week, the PB returned the town’s proposed annual budget for the year due to a number of irregularities found in the documents submitted by municipal council secretary Emmylou Cabonillas.

A resolution which contained the town’s proposed 2014 annual budget bore the name and signature of Cabonillas.

However, another resolution which contained a supplemental budget ordinance from barangay Balaygtiki in Dumanjug was signed and approved by the town’s other municipal secretary, Nerio Aquino.

Board Member Grecilda “Gigi” Sanchez, who heads the PB’s committee on budget and appropriations, said the town must submit a new budget proposal before the PB.