Capitol budget for printing, binding cut from P5M to P1M

The Cebu Provincial Board (PB)  slashed by P4 million the P271,965,000 of the Capitol’s Supplemental Budget 1.

In yesterday’s  regular session the board  to P1 million from P5 million the budget for printing and binding under the item for Public Information Officer (PIO).

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said they made the decision after  the Capitol’s PIO failed to show up in a  special meeting last Friday and their caucus yesterday noon to answer questions about the budget.

PB Member Peter John Calderon, who sponsored the Supplemental Budget Ordinance, said that during their pre-session meeting yesterday even Budget Officer Eme Gingoyon, could not explain details of the  P5 million outlay.

PB Member Julian Daan  objected to slashing  P4 million saying that they haven’t heard the side of the PIO on the budget.

PB Member Alex Binghay said he was in favor of the cut and that  P1 million is a “reasonable amount for now.”

PB Member Arleigh Sitoy  called for a vote.

Eleven PB members voted in favor of reducing the budget.

Only Daan voted against it.  PB Members Sergio Restauro and Thadeo Ouano abstained.

“There’s nothing partisan about this… I am glad that some gentlemen crossed party lines,” Magpale said after the voting.

Magpale said they saw the urgency of passing the supplemental budget because  delaying it would “hostage” the bonuses of Capitol employees.

Aside from the PIO budget, other issues that were debated on focused on whether to include in the budget the proposal of Sitoy to give authorize  the vice governor to approve the use and distribution of the Provincial Development Fund.

Sitoy withdrew this proposal after objections made from PB members  Ian Zambo and Daan.

Daan and Zambo both emphasized that this provision can’t be approved based on a  Local Government Code provision that says that only the governor has this function. Carmel Loise Matus, Correspondent