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Wednesday, December 08, 2004
2 councilors in near fistfight over city budget
By Aurea A. Gerundio
DAVAO CITY -- Two Davao City councilors nearly figured in a fistfight during the regular City Council session Tuesday, following a heated argument over what appeared to be an increase of P100 million in the approved 2005 budget.
It turned out the cause of their fight was only a typographical error.
Councilor Diosdado A. Mahipus Sr., irked by claims of Jesus A. Zozobrado that the budget was bloated, challenged his colleague to a fistfight.
Zozobrado readily accepted his challenge.
Fortunately, cooler heads in the council prevailed and the conflict was averted.
Zozobrado, before the incident, delivered a privilege speech criticizing the approved city budget for next year.
He questioned the reportedly unauthorized increase of P100 million in the proposed annual budget after its final reading in the council.
Instead of P2.165 billion, Zozobrado added, the figure reflected in budget documents was P2.265 billion.
"We all know that whenever there is an increase, no matter how slight, in the power rates, the public suffers. But in this council, increase of so much magnitude in our city's budget and insertions of such astronomical proportions as P100 million are simply laughed at and explained away as mere typographical errors," Zozobrado said.
Zozobrado said the insertion could have taken place after it was approved on second reading.
He said he is not accusing Mahipus of anything but wondered how a huge amount could have been inserted.
"Worse, instead of being appreciated, we who noticed the spurious amendment, we who merely asked for the deferment of the budget for one week so that the same may be checked for errors, we were taunted, ridiculed and reported to the mayor and subjected to veiled threats that benefits enjoyed by members of the majority will no longer be given to us," Zozobrado said.
Mahipus refuted Zozobrado's accusations, saying these were hurting and unfair.
"Councilor Zozobrado said the budget was also done in indecent haste. I would like to disabuse his mind that the budget was done in indecent haste. There were proper deliberations conducted before approving the budget," Mahipus said.
Mahipus said they could not lie about the budget or make insertions on their own.
He also said it was impossible to insert additional amount in the budget without corresponding appropriations.
Later in the discussion, it was discovered the discrepancy was due to a typographical error.
Antonio Pahamutang of the City Council secretariat admitted their mistake, adding that when they were finalizing the minutes of the December 1 session, they committed a mistake when transcribing the minutes.
Following Pahamutang's explanation, Zozobrado and Mahipus were reconciled by City Council majority floorleader Victorio S. Advincula Sr.
(December 8, 2004 issue)
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