“It will not happen again. We made the mistake before. We will not make the same mistake again.”
This was the response of Councilor Agustin Miguel “Tincho” Perdices Friday to the challenge of Councilor Karissa Tolentino Maxino for her colleagues to hold a marathon session until the budget is passed. She questioned the practice of Councilors of meeting only once a week for budget deliberations and adjourn immediately.
She said there are 15 items in the budget that are awaiting the approval of the City Council.
Perdices, chair of the Finance committee, said he perceived that our committee was accused of deliberately delaying the approval of the 2025 budget.
In a statement before members of the media, other councilors belonging to the Kasaligan group took exception to Maxino’s claim.
Perdices said the Councilors learned their lesson upon learning that after hastily approving the budget for 2024, not a single house has been built in barangay Banilad for victims of Tropical Storm Sendong.
“We failed to determine if all the plans were in existence. In our haste to approve the budget, not a single drawing was presented. The result is that not a single house was built because there was no plan,” Perdices said.
The Councilors insisted in scrutinizing the budget to come up with a budget that exactly corresponds to what is needed.
Perdices said the Council is not deliberately delaying the approval of the budget but they are deliberately scrutinizing to pass the proper budget.
He recalled that when the Council met almost daily to approve last year’s budget, Councilors Maxino and Rey Lawas attended only two meetings. Councilor GG Esmeña failed to attend even one meeting. Councilor Baldado, while attending almost every meeting would always leave early,” he said.
“Those of you who would insist on meeting every day when you yourselves were not participating, don’t insist on what you like. Let us do it our way,” Perdices said. (AP)
