DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 20 Aug)—City Council Majority Floor Leader Jesus Zozobrado has denied Councilor Bernard Al-ag’s claims that he is being “politicized” for opposing the local government’s P2.2-billion Supplemental Budget 1 (SB 1).
Davao City Councilor Jesus Zozobrado. MindaNews photo by IAN CARL ESPINOSA
“[His claims are] baseless and with no evidence. That’s irresponsible of him,” Zozobrado told reporters Tuesday afternoon at his office.
Only Al-ag voted for an objection out of 17 city councilors in attendance last August 13, pointing out an apparent “excessive” P354.4 million allocation for the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO)’s “capability building on sectoral issuances and existing programs and services,” defining them as “seminars.”
In a radio interview last Friday, Al-ag said “he might be politicized” for saying no to the supplemental budget’s approval.
“Atong ipadaplin ning mga politika, kay gipolitika man diay gud ko, so tan-awon ta ni siya objectively, kamo husga, tama ba nga ang P350 million, igasto sa mga seminar? (We will set aside politics, as I am being politicized, so we have to see this in an objective manner, you decide. Is it right that we are spending P350 million on seminars?),” the city councilor added.
He also claimed some councilors “did not even read” the whole supplemental budget, and “only said yes” to the measure “without question.”
Al-ag was once a majority floor leader, from 2016 to 2017, before he became a vice mayor from 2017 to 2019 after then vice mayor Paolo “Pulong” Duterte’s resignation on December 25, 2017.
In an interview with the media Tuesday afternoon, Zozobrado calls Al-ag’s claims during a radio interview as “reckless, irresponsible, baseless, and malicious.”
“He could have moved for reconsideration! He knows the procedure, [he is] a former leader, a chairman of the committee on rules… Nganong wala man na niya gi-avail? (Why he did not avail that power?)” Zozobrado said.
“It’s wrong for him to say nga ang uban wala dinha gabasa og [city council session’s agenda], tama ba na? Niagi ka’g vice mayor, floor leader, tas moingon ka’g ana? (It’s wrong for him to say that the other councilors do not read the city council’s session agenda, isn’t he? He served as a vice mayor, floor leader, then he is saying these things?),” he added.
Zozobrado said that for him, Al-ag should have “abstained” rather than opposed the supplemental budget, or he would urge other councilors to reconsider the budget to bring it back on the second reading.
Rather, Al-ag voted yes for the SB1’s second reading on August 7 and for it to be passed with unanimity.
“But again, the majority wins, and he should accept it. That’s the council’s parliamentary procedure,” Zozobrado said.
The CSWDO project design of the P354-million capacity building obtained by MindaNews consists of welfare goods expenses and other supplies and materials expenses.
Under the welfare goods expenses, the indigenous people’s sector was allocated P324 million; the older person’s sector was allocated P214,800; and Sagop Bata program, a program for mendicant children, was allocated P1,837,500.
Other supplies and materials expenses under the capacity building would cost P28,343,000; thus totaling the CSWDO’s capacity building budget to P354,396,000.
“When you conduct these kinds of programs and services… mo-entail man gyud na’g expenses, pakaonon man na nimo, unsaon man nimo pagsagip sa mga bata og gutom na diha, unsaon man na nimo pag-atiman sa mga senior og di nimo pakan-on, samtang tudluan nato na sila og mga maayong lakang nga mo-angat ilang kaugalingon?” Zozobrado said.
(When you conduct these kinds of programs and services, they naturally entail expenses. You have to feed them—how will you rescue hungry children without feeding them? How will you care for seniors without providing them with food while teaching them ways to improve their lives?)
The 15 city councilors who voted in favor of the measure were Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz (the ordinance proponent), Zozobrado, Bai Sweet Advincula, Wilberto Al-ag, Dante Apostol, Conrado Baluran, Louie John Bonguyan, Pilar Braga, Jonard Dayap, Edgar Ibuyan Jr., Bonz Militar, Alberto Ungab, Enzo Villafuerte, Kristin Abdul Mercado, and Trisha Ann Villafuerte.
Councilor Nilo Abellera said he was abstaining as he was not there during the deliberation.
The supplemental fund consists of General Fund Proper worth P951,881,151.77 and Development Fund worth P1,236,373,079.57.
It also includes funds for the operations of public markets (P22,800,000), city slaughterhouses (P2,207,751), public cemetery (P396,064.16), Davao City Recreation Center (P1,592,879), and Sta. Ana Port (P451,372).
The funds for the supplemental budget came from the excess from the 2023 budget and reversion of the appropriations for the current and previous years.
The ordinance’s proponent, Councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, said the passage of the supplemental budget 1 will also mean all government workers who hold plantilla positions should expect salary increases that will depend on their salary grade.
The local government allocated P125 million for them and they may receive them “as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, job orders and contracts of service workers will receive gratuity pays worth P5,000 each, for which the local government allocated P90 million.
Zozobrado also said those who say no to the approval of the local government’s supplemental budget 1 (SB1) is deemed to disagree with the “entirety” of it, and not just a part of it.
Al-ag said he opposed the SB1 just because of the excessive CSWDO’s capacity-building allocation, but not all the other parts of the budget, including the government workers’ gratuity pays. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
