City lawmakers identified, together with the minority bloc, questioned the P78.8 million increase in this year’s budget of the city government.
From last year’s obligated expenditure of P258,238,389.00, the proposed budget for
this year skyrocketed to P337,052,121.00 or a P78 M increase for 2009.
A big surprise since 2008’s budget was even reduced from P343 million in 2007 down to P295 million in 2008.
City Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso questioned what projects are in the pipeline for this year to be funded by such considerable increase in the budget. City Budget
officer Rose Palma of the Sangguniang Panlungsod could only mention of a P20-million appropriations allotted for vacant positions.
Palma was then requested to bring during the next session, the list of projects to as to justify the P78M budget increase.
Veloso says that as elected officials, they are accountable to the public for every centavo spent through projects and services.
