Deadlock over as Makati councilors approve P17.9-B budget

The impasse over Makati City’s 2019 budget ended on Wednesday after councilors from the majority and minority blocs voted unanimously to approve it on third and final reading.

All of the 16 councilors present during the regular session voted in favor of Draft Ordinance No. 2018-064, which appropriated over P17.9 million for the city’s 2019 budget. The amount, however, was lower than the previously proposed budget of P18.17 billion.

The appropriations ordinance, which will be known as City Ordinance No. 2019-005, will now be forwarded to Mayor Abby Binay for her approval.

During Wednesday’s session, there was a slight argument between the minority and majority after the latter insisted that they review the ordinance.

This was after city budget officer, Aileen Soriano, through a letter to the council, said that she found discrepancies—“a difference of P1,376,511.66”— between the budget proposal submitted for second reading totaling P17,927,653,965 and and the majority councilor’s amended budget proposal for P17,926,277,453.34.

The majority councilors led by Councilor King Yabut, however, relented after Soriano failed to attend the session.

“In the interest of public service, the majority is willing to concede that it is time to pass the executive budget … on third reading,” Yabut said.