By Shiela Mae Butlig
Correspondent.
FINALLY. The Budget Ordinance of Misamis Oriental for this year will be submitted to the Department of Budget within this week.
On Monday, the provincial board approved a resolution that they will just use the machine copies of the attachments of the ordinance which Vice Gov. Jeremy Jonahmar Pelaez admitted that its original copies are still in the hands of the Board Secretary Ernesto Sotto.
Board Member Gerardo Sabal said it is their only remedy so that they could already submit the budget ordinance to the DBM.
Board Member Nancy Madjos presided over the provincial board because Pelaez was attending another official business.
The approved resolution authored by Board Member Wayne Militante, the committee chair of finance.
“Naa nami resolution napirmahan nga katong machine copies considered as original,” said Sabal.
Sabal said it will depend if they will file a case against Pelaez but what they will be focusing for now is to forward the budget ordinance for 2020 to the budget department.
He said Misamis Oriental Budget Officer Claudita Baliton will personally submit the budget ordinance.
“Soonest possible time, hopefully this week,” estimated Sabal adding: “Dili pwede makapugong ang usa ka tawo (Pelaez) kay pagabotohan kana.”
The votes and the approved ordinance itself is sufficient enough for the DBM to accept their documents, he surmised.
The original copies of the attachments of the budget ordinance that Pelaez refuses to give included the Annual Investment Plan, the Gender and Development plan, Budget for Nutrition Program, Peace and Order Plan, among others.
Sabal, on the other hand, said there is a need to fast track the submission of the budget ordinance especially since there is a time table for every project for the province.
“Labi na sa panglawas labi na karon nga naa na kining coronavirus, programa sa turismo naa may time table nga gasundon,” he said.
