Tuesday, November 13, 2007 Emano depletes budget for 2007: opposition By Lizanilla J. Amarga
ALL audit-free funds of the City Government of Cagayan de Oro budgeted supposedly for the entire fiscal year 2007 were virtually depleted by then city mayor now Vice-Mayor Vicente Emano before turning over the reins to the newly-elected City Mayor Constantino Jaraula by the end of June 31, 2007.
This report came as City Hall budget hearings for the Annual Budget Ordinance 2008 revealed that Jaraula is asking for an increase in all the above funds that are not subject to the strict auditing rules of the Commission on Audit (COA).
Jaraula has submitted his Proposed Executive Budget last September 8, 2007 containing a proposed budget of P1,309,297,064 or P1.31 billion.
All the budget hearings for 2008 Annual Budget Ordinance are now being scheduled practically every 2 p.m. daily at the City Council Session Hall.
It was the records from these budget hearings that disclosed how Emano reportedly spent these “discretionary funds” between January 1, 2007 to June 31, 2007.
Emano spent P16.544 million between January 1, 2007 to June 31, 2007 of the allocated whole-year round P19.037 million of the aggregate total budget allocation for Intelligence Funds/Confidential Expenses, Anti-Insurgency/Emergency Expenses and Extraordinary Expense in 2007.
Emano left only an aggregate of P2.493 million out of the P19.037 million for Jaraula to make-do for the next six months.
Confidential expenses
Opposition leaders earlier suspect that the audit free funds were not used as they should have been as it was actually used to bankroll the candidacies of all PaDayon Pilipino candidates during the National and Local Election last May 14, 2007.
"It is obvious as you do not even hear any complaint from Jaraula's side on this matter. Why? Because, Jaraula also benefited and damn the needs of the people," said an opposition lawyer who asked anonymity.
In Fiscal Year 2006, the actual Intelligence Fund/Confidential Expenses spent by Emano reached P8,783,000.00 or P8.9 million of the budgeted P9 million for that year.
Last November 2006, the City Council dominated by members of the PaDayon Pilipino political party passed a budget containing a P9.9 million allocation for Emano's Intelligence Fund/Confidential Expenses.
But records in the 2008 Proposed Executive Budget showed that from last January 1, 2007 to June 31, 2007, Emano already spent P8,225,000 or P8.2 million of the allocated P9.9 million of the supposed to be annual allocation between January 1 to June 31, 2007.
Emano, who is also the PaDayon Pilipino titular head, left only P1,675,000 as Intelligence Fund/Confidential Expenses for Jaraula to make-do for July 1 to December 31, 2007.
The actual Anti-Insurgency/Emergency Expenses last 2006 was P6 million and the 2007 Annual Budget Ordinance increased the P6 million to P6.8 million.
When the year opened and until he turned over the reigns to Jaraula, Emano has spent P6.35 million of the allocated P6.8 million Anti-Insurgency/Emergency Expenses.
He left Jaraula only P450,000 for the months July to December 2007.
Budget records also show how the actual Extraordinary Expenses in 2006 was P1,831,699 or P1.8 million but this was increased to P2.337 million in the 2007 Annual Budget Ordinance.
However, between January 1, 2007 to June 31, 2007, Emano already spent P1.969 of the total P2.337 million whole year allocated and left only P367,795 for Jaraula.
