ILOILO City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) unanimously approved Mayor Jose Espinosa III’s supplemental budget request but slashed it by P85 million.
The mayor asked for P130,088,408.09 but the appropriations committee chaired by Councilor Plaridel Nava questioned the P35-million site development for the planned Iloilo City Sports Arena in Barangay San Pedro, Molo district and the P50-million proposed multipurpose building at the back of city hall.
What the SP approved was P45,088,408.09 for the monetization of leave credits of city government workers, personal benefit funds, terminal leave benefits, salaries and wages (regular employees), personnel economic relief allowance, and for maintenance and operating expenses such as travel expenses and scholarships, among others.
“The sources of funds are in order and substantial. However, the committee is not convinced with two items – sports arena site development and multipurpose building. These must be rejected and remain unappropriated,” according to Nava.
The SP has yet to give Espinosa the authority to contract a loan for the proposed sports arena thus there was no urgent need to appropriate a huge amount of money for the development of the site where it was being planned for construction, he stressed.
“Why would we embank and develop the area? Are we now assuming that the city council would grant that authority to the mayor to contract a loan?” asked Nava.
He also noted that the P35-million budget would be taken from the proposed intelligent transport system.
“We need this system proposed during the administration of (former) Mayor (Jed) Mabilog…Ano priority naton, filing materials for the embankment ukon padayunon ta ang intelligent transport system which could mitigate traffic congestion? I don’t understand why this administration has to abandon that,” said Nava.
Regarding the proposed multipurpose building, Nava said the P50-million budget could well be spent for the rehabilitation of public markets, drainage system, access roads and viaducts in the depressed areas./PN
