De Oro ‘pork’ war rages

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines—The war between Mayor Oscar Moreno and members of the majority block of  the city council rages over the mayor’s refusal to give discretionary funds, or what can be considered pork barrel,  to the councilors, an ally of the mayor said.

Councilor Eric Salcedo’s claim that the majority block—identified with former Mayor Vicente Emano—made drastic cuts in the city’s proposed P2.6-billion budget next year in retaliation to Moreno’s refusal to let the councilors have pork was refuted by another official, however.

Salcedo said members of the faction identified with Emano, who lost his reelection bid, “negotiated” with the minority block to ask Moreno to allow insertions amounting to P1 million in discretionary funds for each councilor.

Salcedo belongs to the minority block.

He said the majority’s demand was made known to the minority block in an informal meeting on the budget at the office of the city council secretary.

Another Moreno ally, Councilor Lourdes Darimbang, supported Salcedo’s story.

Salcedo and Darimbang said they knew Moreno would not approve the planned insertions.

As a result, Moreno’s signed proposed budget of P2.6 billion was slashed by about P300 million. Many of the deleted provisions pertained to funds for the mayor’s office, including those for intelligence gathering and support for poor PhilHealth beneficiaries.

When the 2014 budget was finally approved last week, Moreno vetoed many of its provisions.

“It was illegal, as the deletions, changes and insertions were not allowed by law and by the rules and regulations of the Department of Budget and Management,” Moreno said in explaining the veto.

Moreno said the move of the city council majority was clearly aimed at paralyzing him while ensuring they had the funds for their pork.

He said that while the reduction of the proposed budget was within the power of the city council, “it should, however, be premised on genuine economy measures, motives and prudence in government spending and must be uniformly applied.”

He said it was also obvious the majority block wanted to retain their discretionary fund, but they reduced the PhilHealth budget for poor residents, which is “contrary and prejudicial to public welfare.”

Councilor President Elipe, a son-in-law of Emano, defended the budget cut, saying it was based on a conservative projection of the city’s annual income.

Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas, another Emano ally, said Moreno’s allies were trying to paint the majority block bad.

He turned the tables on Salcedo by saying the proposed insertion for discretionary fund came from the minority group itself.

He said that to clear the issue, Salcedo should name names.

Moreno, meanwhile, accused Emano—who has since returned to the City Hall as a council consultant—of “calling the shots.”

“But let me remind them that I am the mayor of this city and he (Emano) can wait for 2016 and I will defeat him again,” he said. Bobby Lagsa, Inquirer Mindanao