The proposed P2.02 billion budget of the province of Negros Occidental this year, was finally approved yesterday by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, ironically, without questions from the 10 board members present.

The approval of the budget, deliberation on which lasted for only about 10 minutes, was endorsed and duly seconded by all members present, as requested by Board Member Salvador Escalante, chairperson of the SP committee on Finance and Appropriations.

Escalante thanked his colleagues for approving the budget, which he had been pushing for almost seven months, starting late last year.

Gov. Alfredo Marañon had earlier charged that the delay in the approval of the budget had been politically motivated, since its passage before the elections had been stalled by allies of Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. who ran against him for governor.

Marañon won the elections with a lead of 171,086 votes.

The approval of the budget elicited applause from the Capitol department heads and employees, who attended the SP session.

The fourth tranche salary increases of more than 2,300 Capitol employees are included in the 2013 budget, and its approval also paves the way for the granting of their P20,000 bonuses.

Before the approval of the budget, the Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees filed a complaint against all SP members and Alvarez before the Ombudsman for its non-approval.

Board Member Mae Javellana yesterday again acted as the presiding officer, in behalf of Alvarez who took a 15-day vacation leave from May 15 to 31.

NO SHOW

Patrick Lacson and Manuel Frederick Ko, who were among the board members who had consistently questioned the budget proposed by the executive department before the May 13 elections, were absent from yesterday’ session.

Board Members Emilio Yulo III, Renato Gustilo and Thea Mae Dino, who are among the allies of Alvarez at the SP, were also not present when the budget was approved yesterday.

OMBUDSMAN CASE

PACE president RubenDiamante said they welcomed the approval of the budget, which they had been fighting for.

As for their complaints lodged against SP members before the Ombudsman Visayas, he said they will wait for the ruling on it. Since the budget has already been approved, we have to respect it, if the Ombudsman says it is “moot and academic”, he said

PACE is thankful for the approval for the budget that is long overdue for the people of Negros Occidental and the Capitol employees, its spokesman Renelo Lastierre also said.

Our agony is over, they should have approved the budget earlier so the people did not have to suffer from reduced public services and Capitol employees did not have to wait so long for what is due them, he said.

The situation in the past was an eye-opener for Negrenses on who are the officials who care about their plight, he said.

Their case before the Ombudsman will continue so it can be determined if administrative or criminal liabilities had been committed through the delay in the granting of salary increases mandated by law, he added.

Escalante said the board members who were absent yesterday, informed him of their support to the approval of the budget, since the political season has already ended.

Present at the SP regular session yesterday were Board Members Pedro Zayco, Helen Zafra, Raul Rivera, George Gitano, Jose Benito Alonzo, Melvin Ibañez, Nehemias de la Cruz and Miller Serondo.

Gustilo and Lacson were on “official business,” while Alvarez, Yulo and Dino were on official leave.

ON WITH CONSTRUCTIONS

With the approval of the budget, Escalante said the construction of various key infrastructure projects funded by the provincial government and the hiring of about 50 doctors for various government hospitals, may now continue.

He added that documents required for additional bonuses of Capitol employees may have been prepared already by the Office of the Governor, since there is now a legal basis to request for a supplemental budget.*GPB

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