Home 
Compostela town officials finally made a step closer to passing the revised 2007 annual budget.
The Municipal Council approved on first reading the proposed budget in yesterday's special session.
All 10 councilors approved the P47 million revised annual budget, which slashed by P11 million Mayor Ritchie Wagas's proposed P56 million 2008 budget.
Wagas said he was happy that the council finally acted on the budget.
“The amount is immaterial,” said Wagas.
He said that the issue was if the council was doing their job which was to approve the budget for the residents of the town.
Wagas told in a phone interview yesterday that the revised 2008 budget would still be reviewed and discussed in the next week’s regular session.
He said the council would discuss if the proposed budget would be amended before it would be approved for second reading and the third and final reading.
He said that after the budget is passed on third reading, this will be given to the mayor for implementation.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said she was overwhelmed with the “passage” of Compostela's annual budget, which is an indication that her effort to intervene in the dispute paid off.
“I'm thankful that our officials in Compostela have decided to rise above their little differences to uphold public good and the greater majority,” said Garcia.
Garcia called Mayor Wagas and Vice Mayor Joel Quiño on Tuesday to a close-door meeting to request both officials to refrain from granting media interviews while they were trying to iron out their differences.
It was not a gag order, the governor said, but a request to lessen their verbal exchanges that could only worsen the tension between the administration and opposition bloc.
During the meeting held behind the closed doors of the governor's office conference room, Garcia said, she requested former mayor Gilbert Wagas, the mayor's brother, to also keep refrain from commenting on the matter.
“I applaud our public officials for once again proving that in unity there is strength. In unity there is progress, a bright future for all of us and for the people of Compostela. And for all the Cebuanos, there is hope,” Garcia said.
Garcia said that for a small town like Compostela, any delays in the passage of any allocation will affect the delivery of services especially to the very poor families.
Asked if she was also willing to intervene in the dispute of Mandaue City officials, Garcia grinned and said, “we'll see”.
But she would not want to dip her fingers on the dispute in Tudela town which she said is a “legal issue”.
“I'm just coordinating closely with CPPO (Cebu Provincial Police Office) to keep the peace and order there,” she said.
Yesterday's special session presided by Compostela Vice Mayor Quiño lasted for almost four hours.
Councilor Tessa Cang, chairperson of the finance and appropriation committee, explained in privilege speech before the session started why she failed to attend last Tuesday's regular session.
The session which would have discussed the proposed budget was cancelled because of Cang's absence.
Cang said she had abdominal pains and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Cang condemned the people who were constantly dictating on the mayor. She asked the mayor as the leader of the town to have his own principles.
She then asked Carmelo Tejero, the municipal planning and development coordinator (MPDC), to be present in the special session.
Cang said the MPDC had yet to reply to their recommendation as to the specific appropriation needed for some barangays that need to be given immediate action.
She said that during their Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) meeting in Bohol, the MPDC was tasked to identify problems to be given a specific budget for the operation of the municipality.
She said that the MPDC had yet to answer the council's questions regarding this issue.
Administration councilor Felijur Quiño said that Tejero was not informed about the special session.
He said the mayor and Tejero were present during Tuesday’s session.
He said the mayor thought things were ironed out and that the MPDC was not required to be present.
Cang said that she just needed to hear from MPDRC the reason why they were not able to answer all their recommendations during the budget hearing last June 25.
The session proceeded with the approval of the P47 million revised budget for 2008.
Administration Councilor Venancio Gatdula Jr. said all council will only have to approve their version of the budget since the mayor no longer cares about the amount.
Councilors Josephine Abing, Joselito Reynes, and Pepe Paradiang and Vice Mayor Quiño agreed with Gatdula and gave their approval of the budget.
Vice Quiño also assured that the council’s version of budget is more reasonable.
