Bermejo belies realigning of calamity fund
ROXAS CITY – City Mayor Vicente Bermejo strongly denied allegations that his administration realigned the calamity fund amounting to P8.9 million to other projects. Bermejo, in a talk with mediamen here, said the fund was not spent in 2008, thus it was reverted to city government coffers.
The mayor issued the statement in answer to the allegations of Vice Mayor Ronnie Dadivas in his unread privilege speech. Dadivas was barred by members of the city council from delivering his privilege speech last week.
Bermejo clarified that the said P8.9 million was unexpended in 2008 and forwarded to 2009 annual budget and was used for the purchase of equipment and just compensation of land at La Playa de Roxas thru supplemental budget No. 01-2009.
Part of the funds, Bermejo said, was spent for the repair and improvement of Punta Cogon Access road, construction/improvement of Tanqu-Kalubihan access road and repair and improvement.
Documents obtained by The News Today (TNT) revealed that of the P14 million calamity funds, some P1.1 million was spent for fire victims at Sitio Cuadra, Brgy. 5; and P4.1 million was also spent for the relief goods operation and other operating expenses during the Typhoon Frank Victims.
Earlier, Dadivas hit the Bermejo administration for allegedly realigning funds intended for Typhoon Frank victims and instead pay for the following:
* 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 lamented that the City Social Welfare and Development Officer (CSWDO) identified 3,213 families who are victims of typhoon Frank and were recommended to avail of Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) ranging from P5,000, P7,000 and P10,000.
However, Bermejo clarified that the ESA intended for the typhoon Franck victims were supposed to be sourced from the P8 billion “Paglaum funds” promised by the national government which remain unrealized.
Meanwhile, Bermejo said that he asked P40 million funds from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the drainage system here.
He said that the funds was personally asked by his wife Mariter who is the classmate of the president.
He added that he opted to ask help from the president since there is no project in the 1st congressional district, even coming from Sen. Mar Roxas, unlike in the 2nd district where the president poured many projects.
It was learned that Sen. Mar Roxas was not given his ‘pork barrel’ being an opposition.