Moreno vetoes budget

By Cong B. Corrales,
Associate Editor

The City Council known to obstruct initiatives of Mayor Oscar Moreno convenes for the last time today with the mayor issuing a veto of the 2016 Appropriation Ordinance on Friday.

It remains to be seen if the Padayon Pilipino could muster at least 12 votes to override the veto which seeks to strike out certain provisions of SP Ordinance no. 13081-2016, but has no effect on the P2.46 billion approved budget, as Vice Mayor Ceasar Ian Acenas convenes the City Council for the last time. Acenas lost heavily in the May polls to Moreno’s running mate Rainier Joaquin “Kikang” Uy.

In his 21-page veto letter, Moreno said the substantial reduction of the annual budget since 2014 has a singular motive of paralyzing his function. For 2016, Moreno proposed P4.8 billion. The City Council, however, did not act on it until two weeks ago, and after reducing it by 49 percent to P2.46 billion.

Moreno said the City Council justified the drastic budget cuts adjusting the income estimates of the city for 2016. In his veto message, Moreno said the City Council usurped the powers of the Local Finance Committee (LFC) which has exclusive power under the Local Government Code to “determine the income reasonably projected as collectible for the ensuing fiscal year.”

The proposed 2016 budget has been based on the P4.8 billion income estimate of the LFC. On its face, the invalid reduction of income estimate results in “reducing the amounts of appropriation of certain items in the Executive Budget that are relevant and necessary to the City Mayor’s earnest effort to deliver without delay the needed basic services to the people.”

Moreno also scored the 2016 Appropriation Ordinance “is designed to force the city mayor to be subservient to the sanggunian (majority) and in the process submit to its whims and caprices.”

However, Majority floor leader Ramon Tabor begged to differ.

In a phone interview over the weekend, Tabor said this has been a recurring problem and that the City Council do not want the taxpayers to bear the brunt of a “bloated” budget.

“Kaya ba nato ni nga budget? I could not see how we could get collection and revenue to support the budget,” Tabor said.

Moreno, who is set to start his second term this Friday said, however, that money is not a problem. The 49 percent reduction by the City Council only results in an unappropriated balance of P2.34 billion based on the income projection of the LFC. He said, he would use this by submitting supplemental budget to the next City Council, which is perceived to be friendlier to him.

As for Tabor, he said the impasse between the executive and legislative is not unique to Cagayan de Oro as other local governments also have this kind of political tussle.

“This situation is an offshoot of the lack of trust. Honestly, the budget should be attainable and not bloated. I just hope the new vice mayor will be able to bridge the indifference,” said Tabor.

Although the results of the 2016 election showed that former mayor Vicente Emano’s PaDayon Pilipino has eight winning candidates, seven Liberal Party (including the vice mayor) and two Centrist Democratic Party (CDP), Moreno looks to consolidating support of majority of the City Council which will be presided by his running mate and incoming vice mayor Uy come July 1.

Former allies who jumped to the CDP, re-electionist Councilors Teodolfo Lao, Jr and Enrico Salcedo have expressed renewed their support to the administration of Moreno. PaDayon member Edna Dahino declared her support for the mayor. Also, councilor-elect Suzette Magtajas-Daba, daughter of former mayor Pablo Magtajas, who ran under PaDayon was seen paying Moreno a courtesy call at City Hall last week.

“More PaDayon members may be crossing the bridge,” said a senior City Hall official who asked not to be named for lack of clearance to speak.

With Lao, Salcedo, Dahino and Magtajas-Daba supporting his legislative and development agenda, Moreno will have the majority support in the next City Council.

Moreno could have let this budget pass and wait for the next City Council, “but that is not his nature to tolerate abuse of power and blatantly illegal acts. He doesn’t settle for political expediency” added the senior City Hall official.

As the City Council that earned the monicker “babag” (obstructionist) convenes for the last time today, it remains to be seen if the bitter political relationship of the executive and legislature sees its bitter end or on a conciliatory note.