Mayor seeks DILG help in passage of 2022 budget

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo of Moises Padilla town is asking the help of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlugsod (SP) for the passage of their 2022 Annual Budget since majority of their Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members are unable to attend the session.

In a letter addressed to DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año dated Oct 27, 2021, Garcia-Yulo requested for the Department’s legal opinion on the present circumstance of their SB.

The town only has six active members as four are currently detained in PNP Moises Padilla and NBI Bacolod City while another SB Member is currently on leave with a pending warrant of arrest.

She also said that the six remaining members include the acting vice mayor who becomes the presiding officer during a session leaving only five members who are authorized to vote.

The mayor is also asking about the possible course of action that the local government may take in case the SB lacks the required number of members present to act on the 2022 Annual Budget.

The mayor also made the same request to DILG Region 6 on Sept 13, 2021, but she has yet to receive any response.

The mayor said that if the budget will be reenacted, government programs will be impaired which will affect their residents.

She also said that the three councilors and the vice mayor are about to post bail, which they are waiting for, and that the DILG should already take action on their present situation.

Meanwhile, the town’s SB issued Resolution No. 2021-535 on Oct 27, 2021, requesting the SP to help the municipality in resolving the issue of temporary vacancies in the council which cannot constitute a majority vote of all its members when needed due to legal reason contemplated under Section 45 of Republic Act 7160.

Section 45 of RA 7160 refers to permanent vacancies in the Sanggunian.

It can be recalled that in August 2021, Moises Padilla Vice Mayor Adrian Villaflor and town councilor Jimmie Don Plaza surrendered to Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer and are currently detained at the NBI office in Bacolod City while SB Members Vincent Bryan Garcia and Jose Morito Flores surrendered at the PNP Moises Padilla Station.

All four are allegedly involved in the murder of SB Member Jolomar Hilario in 2019.

A warrant of arrest was also served by PNP Moises Padilla to SB Member Fred V. Bangcaya Sr. on Oct 28 for alleged rape, but he was nowhere to be found.

The warrant was signed by Acting Presiding Judge Anthony Ateniao Dumpilo of the Regional Trial Court Branch 64 in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.