Tinglayan, Kalinga – Municipal Mayor of Tinglayan, Atty. Sacrament Gumilab voiced his concern on the delayed approval of the municipality’s budget, saying the move of Vice-Mayor Charles Abay to remand resolutions containing the budget is a tactic to delay the implementation of pending projects and programs.
Abay earlier requested Sangguniang Panlalawigan – Kalinga to remand two resolutions involving the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) of Tinglayan, passed by its Sangguniang Bayan members.
He claimed that the resolutions failed to undergo proper proceedings, adding that there are issues that should be addressed.
Gumilab, in an interview, explained that while the Local Government Code requires the AIP to be approved first before the budget, the Vice Mayor’s negligence of duty resulted in the same-day approval of both.
The mayor affirmed that the AIP was reviewed and discussed long before its passage.
According to Mayor Gumilab, the AIP served as the basis of the formulation of the budget, only that Abay refused to approve it until the members of the Sangguniang Bayan urged the vice mayor on December 1, 2021, to review the budget, so it can be signed.
Gumilab said the vice-mayor decided to postpone the signing of the budget, but he was again absent during the hearing on December 2. The SB then unanimously approved the budget and transmitted the copy to the Office of the Mayor, who immediately signed it into an ordinance.
When the budget was passed to the Vice-Mayor’s office, he again declined to sign.
The SB members then forwarded the budget to the Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for review. The SP Secretary, however, refused to accept it as the presiding officer did not affix his signature.
When the resolutions were returned to SB – Tinglayan, the members, on December 14, 2021, talked and agreed to let SB Secretary, Jaime N. Tuguic, Sr. issue a notice of a special session scheduled on December 16, 2021.
The notice was sent to all SB members, including the Office of the Vice-Mayor.
On December 15, 2021, Abay, through a memorandum, issued a reprimand saying that the session should be rescheduled for Monday, December 20, 2021.
However, the members pushed through with the scheduled special session so as not to delay its approval. The members also predicted that Abay will not again attend the session as he, accordingly, was scheduled to sponsor a wedding that Monday.
Approval of the 2022 AIP and budget by the SB
Presided by SB Roger Baculi, the members unanimously approved the AIP and the budget on December 16.
Gumilab argued that had there been any problem or issue on the proceedings of the SB, Abay, as a vice-mayor, should have done his duty to clear things up before the AIP and budget were transmitted to the Mayor’s Office.
“Why is that you are questioning the proceedings of your own only when the budget was already transmitted to my office for approval? Sika ti vice mayor, sika ti presiding officer ti SB, apay a haan mo a sinimpa nu adda kamali na diay sakbay naipan office ko,” stated the mayor.
SP-Kalinga called for hearing
In February 2022, Gumilab along with the Vice-Mayor and the SB members attended the hearing held at Davidson Hotel, Bulanao, Tabuk City as called for by SP-Kalinga.
In response to the claim of the vice-mayor on the illegality of the budget, considering the action taken by Secretary Tuguic as defiance of authority, the SB members presented a sworn statement, authorized by the notary public, declaring under oath that Secretary Tuguic was indeed authorized by the majority of the members.
On the issue of Baculi presiding in the session, Gumilab said that the action is in accordance with the law because of the absence of the vice-mayor.
The vice-mayor insisted that there are still defects within the budget that should be addressed, but the mayor stood firm that the provisions of the law were followed in crafting the budget.
“I have given a strong statement to the SP, saying that SP has the power to review our ordinances including our budget. They are to ensure that the ordinance complied with the provisions of the law. What they will review is the ordinance containing the budget, product of the proceedings, not the proceedings otherwise, if you encroach on that function, it is as if you are acting as the Sangguniang Bayan,” explained Gumilab.
The SP, according to the mayor, acknowledged his arguments because conflicts would arise if the SP will be allowed to review proceedings of each municipality.
Tinglayan Budget for 2022 already approved by SP
Gumilab, during the traditional blessing or the ‘Chomchomog’ of the new municipal hall, generator, and the new vehicles on Tuesday, March 15, announced that Vice-Governor Odiem texted him revealing that the budget was approved as a result of their session held the same day.
“Now, that the SP approved and verified that the budget is in accordance with the law so anya ngay inaramid ti Office of the Vice Mayor, dinelay na lang ti implementation of the projects and programs of the municipality, that should have been implemented on the first day of January. His aim is just to delay in order to reach the election ban on March 25,” the mayor pointed out.
“Daytoy nga inar-aramid na a mangidardaruman na ti Secretary ken SB members nga under na, he is just showing that he is not doing his job as the vice-mayor of the municipality. He does not know what’s happening in the municipality of Tinglayan, more so in his office,” Gumilab underscored.
.png)
Comments