Guv to SP: 'You overstepped your boundaries'
Governor Niel Tupas Sr. made another veto of a legislative act of the 9th Iloilo Sanggunian Panlalawigan (SP), the second thus far in what already were historic moves in the affairs of the Iloilo Provincial Government.
Saying the SP "overstepped the boundaries of its power," Governor Tupas reminded counterparts in the Legislative department it is a big no-no to legislate how the honorariums would be paid to the recipients he identified.
To recall, a request for approval was sought by Tupas before the 9th SP for fund allocation of over P23.2 million in honoraria for 11,659 barangay volunteers in the province.
An approval was granted however an exception was made by the Governor in one provision that somehow sets the direction on how the distribution was to be made.
The Governor in his veto insisted that only the provincial treasurer is specifically mandated to take charge of the disbursements and not through the municipal treasurers as opted by the SP body.
"Municipal treasurers are not authorized representatives of the Provincial Treasurer to as disbursing officers. They only fall under the technical supervision of the Provincial Treasurer," Governor Tupas in his veto letter to the SP said.
And another information, he stressed, "there are prescribed procedures on how the Provincial Treasurer should carry out her duties of disbursing provincial funds and this cannot be changed by an ordinance. Besides, the amount intended as honoraria are earmarked for the 11,659 volunteers who must personally receive such amounts from the Provincial Treasuer or her duly authorized paymasters."