Zulueta slams Atinado for 'snub' of budget hearings
The hearing last Monday was the third day of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Appropriations' review of the P930-million budget being proposed by the executive department for calendar year 2008 and yet City Budget Officer Ninda Atinado is still to show her face before the members of the said committee. This did not escape the attention of committee member City Councilor Perla Zulueta, who readily took issue with Atinado's continued refusal to appear during the budget hearings.
According to the feisty city legislator, Atinado's presence in the said hearings is important since it is the proposed budget that is under review therein. "Of course, if we are to ask questions regarding the budget, we would ask them to Atinado, she being the head of the City Budget Office that supposedly prepared the budget."
"Now, this is the third day of the budget hearings and she is nowhere to be found. All the department heads are here to present and defend their proposed budget but Mrs. Atinado is not here. Is she exempted?" Zulueta asked, referring to the policy of appropriations committee chairman Councilor Jose Espinosa III that requires department heads to personally attend the budget hearings to defend their respective budgets.
Administrative Officer Dionisia Gargalicana, whom Asst. City Budget Officer Joy Ann Toledo asked to represent their office in the hearings, justified Atinado's failure to attend the committee's deliberations on the budget.
According to her, Atinado was not present during the preparation of the proposed budget, reason why it was Toledo who signed the 2008 Executive Budget. "She probably thought she might not be able to answer the questions of the committee members because she was on leave when the budget was prepared so she just deemed it best to have someone who was involved in its preparation to attend the budget hearings."
'Flimsy reason'
Zulueta, however, isn't totally convinced of Atinado's "flimsy reason."
"Granting that she was not involved in the preparation of the budget, the least that she could have done is to appear on the first day of the hearings and tell us of the reason why she can't be present in the hearings. We shouldn't be left guessing. We shouldn't be the one justifying her absence," the lady councilor from Molo further said.
"Frankly, I feel insulted that she's not making the effort to come before us and explain why she can't be here. I don't know about Joe (Espinosa) or (Councilor) Ed (Peñaredondo) but I see it as an insult to us that she (Atinado) continues to snub the hearings without even a word of explanation why that is so," Zulueta quipped, obviously peeved.
Meanwhile, last Monday's hearing saw the review of the respective budgets of the City Auditor's Office, City Planning and Development Office, City Treasurer's Office, Markets, and City Assessor's Office. On hand to present their office's proposed budget are City Auditor Daisylyn Tavarro, City Planning and Development Officer Jose Roni Peñalosa, City Treasurer Katherine Tingson, Market Supervisor III Vincent de la Cruz, and City Assessor Nelson Parreño.