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Monday, July 10, 2006
Inquiry on sports fund not the reason: official
By Lory Ann B. Bilbao
THE coordinator of the Iloilo City Sports Tourism Council (ICSTC) said the inquiry on the request for additional funds for Councilor Merci Drilon Garcia's office was not the reason why she's no longer the vice chairman of the committee of appropriations.
Rommel Castro, ICSTC coordinator, said in a radio interview that Garcia's inquiry was a "healthy question."
Garcia, during the City Council's session, asked why the sports tourism council requested for P80,000 more.
Garcia asked the same question initially raised by Councilor Perla Zulueta, chairperson of the committee on ways and means.
Garcia was proclaimed only a member instead of being the vice chairperson of the committee, during the City Council's regular session last week. The proposed supplemental budget was approved during the same time.
Garcia inquisition on the same additional fund revealed that despite being the recorded vice chairperson and was presumed acting chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, she has no knowledge on the requested fund.
Zulueta, with wonder, confirmed if Espinosa's committee did not conduct a hearing.
Peñaredondo then said that he was the vice chairman and not Garcia.
It was followed by discussions on the alleged clerical error committed by the council's secretariat in noting down the changes of chairmanships in the committees.
Councilor Joe Espinosa III, chairman of the committee on appropriations, by the virtue of the internal rules that he can choose his vice chairman, named Peñaredondo as the person for the job.
Lack of funds
Meanwhile, in answer to Garcia's query, despite the P108,500 remaining fund allocated for the first quarter but was unused, Castro said that the council lacks P73,000 for its operating expenses.
Zulueta earlier wondered what's the P80,000 additional fund to be charged against the supplemental budget 2 of the City Government for.
The councilor revealed that the sports council's operating expenses were allotted with P900,000 annual fund.
Out of which, the City Treasurer's Office (CTO) divulged that the council only spent P516,111.15 out of its P624,600 first quarter fund.
Out of the expenses, more or less P398,000 was spent for the salaries of the casually hired persons of the council and P104 was for the maintenance.
Espinosa answered that the requested supplemental fund was for the maintenance of its office located at the Iloilo Sports Complex, and for the maintenance of the council's received vehicle for official travels, among others.
Zulueta asked what the P900,000 annual fund was for. Espinosa said it's for the salaries and other needs of the council.
Zulueta said she thought the fund was for distribution of sports equipment and assistance to various barangays of the city.
Espinosa countered that the sports council, though it does not distribute sports materials or assistance, holds various sports games named after the Mayor Jerry P. Treñas.
Such were the Treñas Basketball Cup, badminton, volleyball and taekwondo, which the council handles.
Espinosa revealed that the same tournaments were managed by Castro, the council's coordinator, who was also his assistant in his office at the City Council.
Earlier, Garcia said she was replaced as vice chairman of the committee on Appropriations to cover up the failure of the committee head to conduct a hearing.
Garcia said she was, during last week's regular session of the council, replaced by Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo, who's not even a member of the same committee, as vice chairman just to cover up the failure of the committee to conduct a hearing pertaining the allocations of the P33 million supplemental budget prior to its deliberation in June 21.
It was one week before the proposed allocations were approved by the body.
Garcia, who's name appeared as the vice chairman of the committee on appropriations in Sun.Star copy of the council's approved committee chairmanships, was said have been typographically written.
Peñaredondo, during the regular session two weeks ago, said the council secretariat failed to correct the clerical error and still carried Garcia's name.
Garcia said that if there was a clerical error, how come the secretariat had not corrected it for two years. She said she does not believe there was a clerical error.
Garcia announced her resignation from the committee last week.
The council accepted this by replacing her verbally with Councilor Perla Zulueta, which Garcia said violated the internal rules of the council.
The committee chairman should first submit the names of his new members to the secretariat, which would inform the parties concerned.
(July 10, 2006 issue)
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