SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Board Member Santiago “Bingbing” Lotilla IV has spoken up on his aversion to a post by “Cadiao Cares,” the official social media page of Antique governor Rhodora “Dodod” Cadiao.
The post was entitled “Apology from the Provincial Government” which started to make the rounds on social media early morning Wednesday. The post listed a handful of cost-cutting measures the government will have to make, while alluding to the “stalemate” in the approval of the proposed 2019 budget.
The 2019 proposed provincial budget of P1,421,418,085 is still being deliberated by the provincial board. The board continues to question some of the items in the 2019 budget, such as the purchase of sanitary toilets for poor households.
In a radio interview, Lotilla alleged that the viral post was an “irresponsible” move, coming from the office of the governor of the province.
“Due to the stalemate in the non-approval of the 2019 budget, certain social and economic projects will be affected or discontinued,” the “Cadiao Cares” post said.
It went on to list initiatives deemed “non-essential in the operations of the provincial government of Antique,” which may face budget cuts or be discontinued.
Among the project listed are: the Binirayan Festival, the Kabalaka para kay Lola kag Lolo program, the hosting of sports events, scholarships, and Sakada Assistance, among others – as well as the furlough of all provincial government-hired security guards (including in the 8 district hospitals of Antique), a halt in the hiring of new employees, and the retrenchment of job order employees.
“The Provincial Government will try to exhaust all efforts to address loss of these services in the eventuality of non-approval. Again, our sincerest apologies,” the post concluded.
Lotilla is accusing the governor of “bullying” the Sangguniang Panlalawigan into the approval of the proposed 2019 budget.
“Why post such irresponsible statement in social media when the third and final reading of the proposed annual budget of Antique for 2019 is yet to be discussed and approved in the august body [on Jan. 24]?,” fumed Lotilla. “Why would she [the governor] say such things when she does not know the outcome of [the] session?”
The board member also alleges that the governor wants the people of Antique to believe that it is the SP that is derailing the approval of the annual budget.
Lotilla urged netizens not to quickly believe what they read on social media, encouraging everyone to be critical.
“We are just doing our job. We are not the robots or tando-tando that will move according to the whims of the governor. I am standing to my principle that everything must be proper,” Lotilla said./PN
