New Capitol budget war looms as SP clips guv's IRA dev't fund expense
A total of 71 zero-budget allocations marked this year's approved project listings of the Capitol's 20% Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) Development Fund.
With over P176 million getting the final Legislative nod, members of the 9th Iloilo Sanggunian Panlalawigan (SP) in a majority vote sealed the fate of scrapped Capitol expenditures. Among those in the "zero-list" are 'pet-projects' of Governor Niel Tupas including the "Clean and Green," conducts of surveys, workshops and seminars.
For the Committee on Appropriations chaired by the governor's nephew, Vice Governor Rolex Suplico, said "numerous projects" were not really within the provisions of the 20% IRA Development Fund.
Pursuant to Section 287 and Section 294 of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code, the Committee noted, monthly meetings, monthly consultations, monthly monitorings, trainings, seminars, plannings, monitorings per se, conferences, advocacy activities, capability building activities and cash awards do not fall within the category of "development and livelihood projects."
As such, no more P500,000 each for projects such as "Search of Cleanest and Greenest Municipalities and Barangays," Roadside tree-planting and communal forest and Ecological Solid Waste Management Program.
No more over P1.8 million as well for the "Iloilo Provincial Investment Promotion Program" albeit the P2 million stays for the "Tourism Development and Promotion Program."
No more P20,000 each for the Capitol's office supplies, trainings and advocacy work under its "Indigency Program for Health Care." What the SP provided for was over P10.9 million in PhilHealth fund for the indigents of the province set to be evaluated by the social workers under the Provincial Government employ.
The zero-budget likewise scrapped the P167,100 planned expense of the governor for "Nutrition Evaluation and Reward System." Same fate for the "Social Marketing Nutrition Program" with previous total budget of P287,262.50.
More zero-budgets for the governor's "Social Welfare Development Programs" such as "livelihood programs," "leadership training and capability-building," "quarterly meetings and capability-building activities and donations of P100,000 here.
Further still are P400,000 in "Employment Promotion Program" also scrapped alongside "Trainings and seminar for women sector" and "Cash Award for provincial nominee to the Presidential Award."
The SP body in deleting the budget allocations as proposed by Governor Tupas noted how Executive violation was committed the submission of the original 20% IRA Development Fund plan.
"The same did not include the project details or listings…which was instead in a lump sum. This violated the requirements of Section 314 of RA 7160 on the Form and Content of local government budgets…" excerpts of the Committee report went. "This also violated the provisions of the Updated Budget Operations Manual for Local Government Units issued by the Department of Budget and Management, which required that the same shall be itemized."
Another violation, the group lamented, was the delayed submission – "one (1) month and seven (7) days beyond the statutory deadline," and the supposed boycott of office chiefs in budget hearings called.
"This was upon the instructions of Governor Niel D. Tupas Sr., and his self-styled Provincial Administrator, Manuel Mejorada. This is totally contrary to the mandates of RA 7160," the Committee said.
Meanwhile, Governor Tupas said the Provincial Board committed an improper and illegal act in deleting some appropriations contained in the province's Annual Investment Plan (AIP). The AIP proposed by the Provincial Development Council (PDC) is used as basis for allocating the 20% IRA Development Fund.
Tupas, in a radio interview, said the SP has no power to modify or identify the projects for the AIP.
The governor said if the Provincial Board does not agree with some items in the AIP they should have returned it to the PDC with their recommendations.
It is the PDC which has the sole authority to determine the budgets needed, it is not within the powers of the SP, the governor cited.