BACOLOD City Councilor Wilson Gamboa, Jr. on Tuesday, December 4, explained why he abstained from voting in the P2.52 billion general fund budget of Bacolod City for 2019.
He described the passage of the said budget on December 3 as plagued with unanswered questions and a display of dishonor to the City Council internal rules, thus, he abstained from voting for its passage.
Gamboa was the lone member of the council who “abstained” from voting while 11 Councilors voted in favor of its approval
Councilors Claudio Puentevella and Ricardo Tan were not able to cast their vote because they were on official leave.
He stressed that the SP agenda for the November 26, 2018 regular session which included the 2019 General Fund Budget was received by his office at 2:30 pm or 30 minutes before the 3 pm scheduled session.
This is against the SP internal rules, he said.
This was the reason why Councilors Puentevella and Dindo Ramos went on fist fight last September 12 as the majority of the SP members failed to follow the internal rules for as long as it will work in their favor, he said.
“I manifested a negative vote when the SP passed the budget on second reading last November 26 because I was not able to participate in the discussion. I likewise pleaded for an extension of the discussion on second reading as I will be clarifying on some of the items...but they never heeded my call,” he said.
Gamboa reiterated it is important for the councilors to exercise their parliamentary rights to ask questions and be clarified as this will lead them to the right and wise decision in the approval of the 2019 budget.
He also said it is incumbent and imperative on him as a city councilor to be careful, prudent and wise because “we are just mere steward of the people's money which were entrusted to us by the people of Bacolod.”