ILOILO CITY, April 22 (PNA) -– The Sangguniang Panlungsod has approved without cut the P7.415 million General Fund Supplemental Budget No. 1 for 2014 but rejected the Local Economic Enterprise (LEEO) Supplemental Budget No. 1 for 2014 amounting to P15.34 million as payment to the Panay Electric Company (PECO) for electricity consumption from December 2012 to June 2013.

Appropriations committee chairman, city councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo said the General Fund supplemental budget will include the fund for capital outlay for Peace and Order Program in the purchase of three new units of L-300 vans amounting a total of P2.7 million.

Peñaredondo said the three vans will be placed under the city mayor’s office for use of visitors of the city and other emergency uses since the city government is hosting an Asia Pacific Economic Council (APEC) Ministerial Meeting by 2015.

General Services Office chief Joren Sartorio said the purchase of the vans will be placed under an open public bidding while admitting that supplier Avescor Corp. has offered the city government the use of two new vans without cost to the city as a way of helping the city cope up with its hundreds of visitors everyday including foreign dignitaries, top corporate and national government officials.

Other particulars under the General Fund supplemental budget are payment of terminal leave benefits of employees, salary, PERA and premiums, capital outlay for projects of disability affairs office, Breaking Barriers for Young Adults with Disabilities, peace and order program, documentary stamps, repair and maintenance of office equipment, fund for the city assessor’s office, city treasurer’s office, BAC office and local disaster risk reduction management office.

On the other hand, the LEEO supplemental budget of P15.34 million payable account for electricity consumption at the Iloilo terminal market was put on hold pending a copy of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) order to obligate payable accounts within the year.

City councilor Plaridel Nava and Joshua Alim claimed the payable accounts to PECO can be paid from funds sourced from other programs but the payment cannot go beyond the DBM order.

Nava said he doesn’t want city mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog facing a case at the Ombudsman because of infraction of the DBM order.

However, Peñaredondo said the offices of the city mayor and the city councilor nor the city treasurer and city budget have not received a communication from the DBM regarding payment of the PECO payable accounts in 2012-2013 using the budget of 2014. (PNA)
LAP/AJP/LCPENDON/VLO