After announcing a P1 million pork barrel for each Talisay city councilor, newly elected Talisay City Mayor Johnny “JVR” delos Reyes had to revisit where he’d get the money.
He first said the source would be the mayor’s “intelligence fund”.
Yesterday, he clarified that it would be sourced from the city’s 20 percent development fund.
Talisay city has an annual budget of P582.1 million for 2013 but its intelligence fund under the mayor]s office is only P5 million — not enough for all ten city councilors and the vice mayor, if the mayor keeps his word.
The mayor’s pledge was welcomed by councilors allied with the majority Alayon Party.
“There is no councilor who would reject that,” said Councilor Richard Francis Aznar, majority floor leader.
The councilor, who chairs the health committee, said he would use the P1 million allotment to buy medicines for the city’s poor.
“I won’t be embarrassed roaming the barangays and providing assistance to constituents,” Aznar said.
Mayor Delos Reyes said the use of the pork barrel would have to be audited for transparency.
He earlier pledged the fund for each councilor and the vice mayor in his inaugural speech in the council last Thursday so they could easily extend assistance to persons who need their help.
Delos Reyes said the vice mayor and the council can use the funds for infrastructure projects, basic social services and even the social activities of the barangays.
A memorandum issued by the late Interior and Local Government secretary Jesse Robredo reiterated that a local government unit’s (LGU) 20 percent development fund can be used for social-economic and environmental development projects.
But the 2011 memorandum clarified that local officials can use the 20 percent development fund for expenditures related to the implementation of projects like labor costs, repair and rehabilitation.
The Office of the President also ordered the DILG to review the existing guidelines on the use of the 20 percent development fund to make it more responsive to disaster mitigation, preparation and response, as well as reforestation and urban greening. With Correspondent Gabriel C. Bonjoc