2009 increase in Jaraula’s audit-free funds to bankroll 2010 Elections — Pimentel, local opposition

November 23, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr. and local opposition leaders yesterday voiced suspicions that the move to increase Cagayan de Oro City mayor Constantino Jaraula’s audit-free funds by over P7 million in 2009 is politically-motivated.

For them, the 2010 Elections is just around the corner by next year and that the PaDayon Pilipino political party under former city mayor now vice-mayor Vicente Emano and party leader Jaraula needs funds to hold on to power.

These opposition leaders are convinced that the over P7 million increase is “too huge” considering all the other past year increases on these audit-free funds – Confidential Fund, Intelligence Fund and Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expenses.

“Walay lain tuyo para na 2010 election (There is no other intention but for the 2010 elections),” Pimentel told Gold Star Daily yesterday.

However, pro-administration city councilors Ramon Tabor and Dante Pajo debunked such allegations insisting that the increase in the intelligence funds is a move based on the “growing felt needs” of the city in security and logistics.

They nevertheless admit that they cannot blame the opposition both in the national and in the local levels for thinking that the P7 million increase will be to boost their PaDayon Pilipino political party’s chances to stay in power.

“Its expected but the law allows a certain percentage of the budget can be apportioned to if and if you have the numbers then mapa-approve gyud na,” Tabor said.

Local opposition city councilors Roger Abaday and Teodulfo Lao as well as former city vice-mayor Atty. Antonio Soriano and city councilor Atty. Roy Raagas echoed Pimentel’s sentiments.

“There’s no apparent justifiable ground for such an increase in these hidden funds under prevailing circumstances, Raagas said.

For Abaday, the increase in some other budget items should be of higher priority than the city mayor’s confidential and intelligence/anti-insurgency funds.

He added that food security, medicines, shelter, education and the city’s waste management system should be the ones where more of next year’s budget should go.

Lao said the fact is that the intelligence fund and confidential expenses cannot be subjected for accounting and auditing and subsequently they can disburse it at their discretion thus it can be vulnerable to graft and corruption.

Soriano for his part said, with the numbers on the side of the PaDayon Pilipino political party, it would not matter so much which budget item they increase in the 2009 Annual Budget Ordinance.

“It is all the same,” he said.

Jaraula, who is currently the highest elected PaDayon Pilipino leader, is asking the PaDayon Pilipino-dominated City Council to increase his Confidential Funds from P10.89 million in 2008 to P15 million in 2009 and that his Intelligence Funds to go up from P7.48 million to P10.5 million in 2009.

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Written by admin · Filed Under Cagayan de Oro