GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Following the announcement of the Department of Budget and Management that the Supplemental Budget 05 of the Sangguniang Panlungsod here is inoperative in its entirety, local officials are now blaming each other for the incident.
To recall, the DBM declared General Santos City’s budget as inoperative on 31 January 2023.
In an interview on Thursday, City Councilor Edmar Yumang — who also chairs the city’s committee on finance, ways and means — revealed that the one to blame is the City Mayor’s Office as it previously suggested to increase the city’s 2023 annual budget.
He lamented that the SP only acted through the letter and endorsement of Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao to increase the P871 million funds to P1 billion.
“We did not pushed for the increase,” Yumang said.
Meantime, former city councilor and now Special Assistant to the Mayor Atty. Franklin Gacal, in a message to Daily Tribune, disclosed that Pacquiao has already instructed her to study the matter on who is to blame.
He added that the mayor has made partial veto on the supplemental budget as there were errors committed by the Sanggunian.
Gacal also stressed that the power of the SP over the Executive budget is limited by law.
The Special Assistant to the Mayor even disclosed that until now, they are finding a remedy for “the fiasco done by the SP.”
Yumang, on the other hand, assured the residents not to worry since the projects and programs lined up — including the basic social services — will not be affected amid the issue.