For four consecutive sessions, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental has not taken up “other matters”, aside from the proposed 2013 budget of the province, as endorsed by the Committee on Finance and Appropriations.

This is because it is awaiting clarifications from the Department of Interior and Local Government Central Office on the provisions of Section 323 of the Local Government Code.

Section 323 of the Local Government Code states that if the sanggunian concerned fails to pass the annual appropriations at the start of the year, no other matters can be discussed by the SP, aside from the budget, for 90 days.

In less than 15 minutes, the regular session of the SP was adjourned yesterday after Board Member Salvador Escalante, chairperson of the SP Committee on Finance and Appropriations, briefed his colleagues on updates of budget deliberations by his committee.

Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. yesterday said that nothing happened in the past four SP regular sessions, because of the clarifications being sought from the DILG.

Escalante said he hopes to finish the budget deliberations in two committee meetings, with the budgets of Office of the Governor, the offices of the Provincial Administrator, Agriculture, Provincial Planning and Development, Veterinarian, Provincial Health to be tackled.

The SP had earlier referred back to the Finance Committee for deliberation, the proposed P2.02 billion budget with a vote of seven against five, that had already been discussed in a series of committee hearings in October last year, before it was submitted for floor deliberations by the SP.

Ironically, allies of Alvarez and Gov. Alfredo Maranon Jr. shared a common stand of seeking clarification from DILG Central Office after what they described as a confusing opinion of the DILG Western Visayas regional office.

Although they were informed through a telephone conversation with DILG staff that Section 323 of the Local Government Code has to be strictly implemented, Escalante said “We just want to have a solid ground to stand on”, apparently referring to an official written reply of the DILG to their queries.

For the sake of transparency and clarifications, Alvarez said there is a need for the executive department headed by the governor to heed any request from the SP, to attend the committee hearing, on allegations of overpricing.

Escalante said the SP cannot summon the governor, or vice versa, to attend a committee hearing. “Most probably to invite,” he added.

Escalante , however, added that the governor also has the right not to be present.

The SP has until the end of March to deliberate on the budget, as stipulated in the LGC, with the campaign period for local candidates to start March 29.*GPB

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