BACOLOD City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran clarified on Thursday, January 3, that there was nothing illegal in the approval of P2.035 billion supplemental budget on the last working day of 2018.

This, after some netizens criticized the move of the City Council on social media during the holidays.

Familiaran said the approved supplemental budget, which was passed during the regular session on December 28, is a requirement of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) or a summary of all approved appropriation ordinances, realignment, and supplemental budget of 2018.

“It’s a yearend requirement and if we fail to approve it, the city’s budget or expenses of will be inoperative,” he said.

City Budget Officer Imelda Williams also explained that whatever changes in the annual budget which was passed in 2018 requires a supplemental budget.

“Our supplemental budget is not just the new sources of funds but it also includes the reversion from other sources like savings,” she said.

The P2.035 billion approved supplemental budget included the P1.7 billion loans proceeds which are considered as a supplemental because it’s an additional appropriation to the city’s 2018 annual budget, she added.

Williams explained that the P2.035 billion supplemental budget was only approved on December 28 because the P1.7 billion appropriation ordinance was also approved on December 19, so it will be covered in 2018 annual budget.

“For whatever changes in our annual budget, we need to approve a supplemental budget as required by DBM and at the same time, the Commission on Audit (COA),” Williams said.

Familiaran said the P1.7 billion loan, which will be used to fund the city’s flagship projects, will be released by the bank by tranches or as per approved of the program of works.

“So it doesn’t follow that the P1.7 billion will be released immediately to the city government,” he pointed out.

The city’s flagship projects are Progreso Village Relocation Site with the budget of P350 million; Bacolod City College Site Development and Facilities, P350 million; Bacolod MassKara Coliseum, P800 million; and the construction of roads and bridges, P200 million.

Councilor Caesar Distrito, chairperson of the City Council committee on laws, said it’s their duty to approve the supplemental budget or else the budget would become inoperative because it’s the rules of DBM.

“The one that reviews the budget is the DBM and if we will not comply with that and it becomes inoperative, COA would order the return of whatever use by reasons of non-passage of the supplemental budget,” he said.

He added that the loan will fund the priority projects of this administration and those who criticized it is only purely politicking.