COUNCILOR Teodulfo Lao has lambasted the city council majority for a resolution which he said only prevents city hall from aiding farmers suffering from the dry spell in the city. Lao said the resolution was inappropriate because of the urgency of a declaration of a state of calamity in the city. He said  Resolution no. 2015-173, called  a “City Council Inquiry,” asked Mayor Oscar Moreno to send city treasurer Glenn Bañez, city budget officer Percy Salazar, and city accountant Beja Joy Elot to shed light on city hall’s finances since 2013. The city council voted, 10-2, in favor of the resolution. Two others abstained. Voting in favor of the resolution were Councilors President Elipe, Nadya Elipe, Adrian Barba, Alden Bacal, Alexander Dacer, Leon Gan, Ramon Tabor, Edna Dahino, Yam Lam Lim, and Dometilo Acenas. Those who voted against were councilors Lao and Roger Abaday. Councilors Zaldy Ocon and  Lourdes Darimbang abstained. Councilor Gan said the city council wants Bañez, Salazar and Elot to explain how the Moreno administration has been spending city hall funds from 2013 to 2014 because of “conflicting” reports sent to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the city council. Councilor Abaday frowned over the resolution, saying the Moreno administration has sought for a declaration of a state of calamity so city hall could help farmers in need but what it received instead was a resolution that seeks to grill the local government’s finance managers. Besides, Abaday said, an inquiry into city hall’s finances should be done first in the committee level. Lao said the resolution was a violation of the city council’s house rules. “Ang among house rules nagsulti nga kon  dunay kagawad mageport, ang iyang report ipasa sa committee ug dili sa plenary,” said Lao. Lao said the resolution showed what the city council majority’s priority is. “The priority should be the declaration of a state of calamity in 17 barangays because farmers are suffering. But their priority is their politics,” Lao said.