Home 
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines - The political feud between the administration of Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes and the opposition-led Mandaue City Council has now stooped to wrangling over the P205-million supplemental budget intended for road improvements in various barangays (villages) in the city.
Mandaue City Administrator Briccio Joseph Boholst on Tuesday called on the council not to “sit” on the supplemental budget because it would disrupt asphalting of dilapidated roads in the city's barangays.
“Ang akong appeal sa ilaha nga tanawan nila ang side sa mga gakinahanglan (needs) sa (My appeal is for them to see the side of the) constituents. Let's set aside politics,” Boholst told Cebu Daily News on Tuesday.
Council Majority Leader Victor Biaño said last week they would not act on the P205.5-million supplemental budget submitted by Mayor Jonas Cortes until the mayor exhausts the P122-million “idle” funds as revealed by the Commission on Audit (COA) annual report.
But Boholst said sourcing the P122 million “idle” funds cannot be fast-tracked since most of the amount is pending in the courts.
He explained that these funds consist mostly of expenses for lot acquisition in the construction and the widening of roads.
The city administrator also pointed out that since the P122 million is already obligated, the mayor cannot appropriate it for other purposes pending a court order.
Other projects not implemented which later became part of the “idle” funds were due to lapses in the planning of the project during the previous administration, Boholst said.
Boholst cited that projects were awarded to contractors without certification of availability of funds.
“Some contractors have refused to continue with the projects because the prices of commodities are high,” Boholst said.
Boholst said around P70 million of the P205-million supplemental budget were intended for road improvement, asphalting and the purchase of equipment for road constructions.
Among the road works listed are the asphalting of portions of Tabok Road, P. Remedio Street in Banilad, the Pagsabungan road, Maguikay barangay roads, and the dilapidated Tingub road.
Biano along with Councilor and appropriations committee chairman Emiliano Rosal questioned how the availability of funds was certified.
They said they suspected that some projects were suspended and reverted back to the general fund without them knowing it.
Majority of the Mandaue council are allied with Ouano.
