MISAMIS Oriental Provincial Board Member Gerardo Sabal on Wednesday, December 4, said Vice Governor Jeremy Jonahmar “Jigjag” Pelaez failed to submit records on how funds were utilized this year, which prompted board members to slash the budget of the capitol’s legislative body next year.
Sabal said Pelaez was not able to present the itemized fund utilization when asked by the body during the budget deliberation.
Sabal added that itemized fund utilization is important so the body would know how the previous budget was spent and the next budget will be spent.
“Wala siya’y gi-present nga itemized fund utilization. Pareha rana sa tagaan nimog balon nga piso ang bata pangutan-on nimo kung giunsa or unsaon niya paggasto ang piso,” Sabal said.
The board decided to slash the provincial board’s budget from the present P140 million to P95 million in 2020.
Last month, the board approved the nearly P3.6 billion 2020 budget and is set to be forwarded to Governor Yevgeny Emano for his signature next week.
Once signed, the final copy of the budget will then be endorsed to the Department of Budget and Management.
This is the first time since Emano assumed governorship that the provincial government submitted on time the budget to DMB for review, after the committee on appropriations chaired by Board Member Wayne Militante fast-tracked the deliberations.