Ordinance ratifies transaction –Vice Mayor
Posted on June 1, 2003 - Filed Under News |
The locomotive carrying the controversial streetlights was simply unstoppable.
This was the frustration aired by Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez who said some critical issues were left unanswered when an ordinance approving a P10 million supplemental budget for the city streetlights was passed by the city council last Monday.
He felt that since the ordinance was effectively ratifying the mayor’s acts, other details about the transactions and implementation had to be looked into by the councilors which was unusual. Normally, the sanggunian would have simply inquired into the costs.
Nevertheless, he called it “democracy at work” when six councilors cast their votes in the affirmative while three voted against; two councilors failed to make it to the meeting on time.
Fernandez also clarified that the issue on the supplemental budget was not about the need for the project but as to how the project was implemented. He maintained that as a public corporation, the Dagupan City government is bound to follow rules and regulations, especially the local government code.
“While it is true that the city government is working for the benefit of the people, a check and balance system must be in place. The city mayor is the chief implementor of projects while the responsibility of authorizing the project and its funding lies with the sangguniang panlungsod,” he said.
Fernandez pointed out that the Sanggunian was only doing its job when it asked the mayor to explain and justify the streetlight project for which a supplemental budget of P10 million was being sought.
After some deliberation, the SP finally decided to approve a supplemental budget which “will become effective only after the Commission on Audit rules and procedures have been followed.”
Councilors Farah Decano and Michael Fernandez voted in the negative because they believed the laws and procedures were not followed. Fernandez stressed that “the end can not justify the means.”
Decano, on the other hand, said the legal officer failed to submit certifications to justify the procurement as implemented.
Charise Perez, SK youth representative, voted in the negative because she felt that “infrastructure projects are more important for the poor people than streetlights.”
According to the vice mayor, among the unanswered issues was the difference in costs if done by the administration as compared to contractual service. This was highlighted when Miguel dela Torre, head of the mayor’s special projects task force, revealed that the mayor advanced the payment for the laborers.
He said that the mayor’s office also failed to submit background documents on the supplier Grandtex Marketing Corporation.
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