ADAMANT. Talisay City Mayor Johnny delos Reyes lashes out at the Talisay City Council for the reduced items in his proposed budget. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Talisay City Mayor Johnny delos Reyes vetoed the cuts made by the Talisay City Council on some items in this year’s budget, saying it is a disservice to their constituents.
“I am the father of this city, tasked to find the right path. If the council cannot see their wrongdoings, I shall lead them to the right path by vetoing their resolution,” delos Reyes said during yesterday’s press conference.
The mayor’s veto was sent to the office of Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante who said the council will definitely override it.
“We will call for a special session to override his veto and implement the budget immediately,” he said. The mayor said the council was afraid that he would squander the people’s money.
“If they know the truth, then they should sue me. They should not place the burden on the people,” he said.
Among the items cut by the council were confidential or intelligence expenses and other maintenance and operating expenses which was reduced from P10 million to P100,000 and gasoline and fuel allocation from P6 million to P2 million.
Other items that were cut include repairs and vehicle maintenance from P5 million to P2 million; extraordinary and miscellaneous expenses, from P426,000 to P76,000; advertising expenses, from P600,000 to P10,000; and training.
Expenditures
Villarante said delos Reyes complained about the reduction in his intelligence budget.
“He uses that budget at his discretion and he is giving it away to people, which is illegal, because under the law, prospective expenditures are always specified,” he said.
Villarante said even if the council cut the mayor’s proposed budget of P1.081 billion budget by P539.941 million during their special session last Jan. 9, de los Reyes can still ask for supplemental budgets.
The mayor’s proposed budget supposedly included an appropriation for the new Tabunok public market’s construction worth P350 million.
Villarante said the appropriation for the new public market was cut because the council didn’t approve it.
Supplemental
Seven councilors belong to the dominant Alayon party of former congressman Eduardo Gullas, who ran and lost to delos Reyes in 2013 while four are under the Liberal Party-Cebu chapter with de los Reyes.
The Alayon bloc was supported by Councilors Danilo Caballero and Aldin Diaz of the LP-Cebu while Councilors Valeriano Ylanan and Dennis Basillote supported the mayor.
Villarante said the city’s actual collection last year was only P516 million, which is closer to the council’s version of this year’s budget.