Makati execs grilled over excessive budget for office transfer

Merlina Panganiban. INQUIRER.net/Cathy Miranda

MANILA, Philippines – Senators  on Thursday grilled  local  officials  of  Makati City  over the proposed  P350-million  budget just to move one department to  the controversial  new Makati City Hall 2  parking  building.

During  the  ongoing  investigation  of the Senate  blue ribbon  committee,  Senator Antonio  Trillanes  IV  questioned the proposed allocation of the city government just to transfer one department to a nearby building.

“Nag-allocate po ang Makati City government ng P350 million para lang lumipat ang isang department para sa bagong building na magkadikit lang ang lilipatan?” Trillanes asked, addressing his question to Lorenza Amores, head of the Makati  City budget department.

“Yan na po yata ang pinakamahal na paglipat ng opisina sa buong mundo… Wala kayong nakikitang problema dun?”  he further asked.

Amores said the amount was requested by the urban development department that will be transferred to the new building.

The committee then called the department’s head, Merlina Panganiban, who happened to be at  the hearing room.

Panganiban explained that the fund would be used to transfer all offices under the department, including the big data center.

Moving the data center alone, she said, would be very difficult as they would have to  buy  new equipment.

“Is that the only way komo marami kayong pera, gaganunin nyo…?  Trillanes asked.

Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III agreed that anyone  who can see the proposed funding just to move a department to another building would be shocked.

Pimentel then asked for the details of the proposed  allocation.

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