Dadivas hit city gov’t for realigning calamity fund
ROXAS CITY – Vice Mayor Ronnie Dadivas scored the city government for realigning the 5 percent calamity fund in the amount of P8.9 million to the other expenditures.
Dadivas claimed that out of P14.2 million fund, only P5.3 million was released not even in its entirely to the victims of Typhoon Frank. This P5.3 million was divided between the typhoon victims and the victims of the fire that razed Brgy. 6.
He added that out of the P8.9 million calamity fund “saving” P5.9 which was carried on to the 2009 budget was used not to assuage the suffering of the typhoon Frank victims but was to:
*Pay (2nd payment) for the P11,000 per square meter land now a portion of La Playa or People’s Park in Brgy. Baybay- P2.4 M
* Purchase of dump trucks (P4 million)
* Additional other charges for heavy equipment loan (P.760 million)
* Pay for utility expenses (P.9 million)
* Pay for terminal leave credits (P1.8 million)
Dadivas was supposed to deliver a privilege speech on the matter but his colleagues in the city council barred him from doing so.
Citing the basic principles on parliamentary procedures, city councilors said that the presiding officer may be allowed to deliver his privilege speech as long as he got permission from the majority of the city council.
On his part, Dadivas said that preventing him from delivering his privilege speech was tantamount to suppression of his freedom of expression which is guaranteed in the Constitution.
Meanwhile, City Administrator Rey Cordenillo said in a radio interview that the city government realigned the said calamity funds into priority projects and obligation of the city government because they are still waiting for the release of “Paglaum Funds” from the national government for the typhoon Frank victims.