WAS the travel or participation of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) Bohol chapter to the national assembly in Boracay island via Manila a junket?
This came as the national directorate has called councilors all over the archipelago to participate in the term-end assessment and general assembly held in a posh Boracay island on March 3 and 4, 2022, report reaching the TIMES said.
The councilors’ participation of the said activity was under scrutiny by netizens for the enormous budget being earmarked for their travel to Boracay island as the typhoon Odette victims are still wallowing in hardship, trying to get back to their normal lives, like rebuilding their destroyed houses.
Some councilor-members of the PCL are reported to have declined to participate in the yearly assembly for lack of budget.
Reports said that others, who are mostly on their last term and scheduled to receive their respective recognition conferred during the assembly, said they joined the said activity since it’s once in a lifetime.
Every councilor-participant is allotted with P15,000 for registration, excluding the air fare from Panglao airport via Manila to Caticlan airport, then to the Boracay island, report said.
Estimates cost every participant not less than P25,000 each, reports said. However, it was not immediately known how many of the 482 members attended the assembly.
Expenses incurred, such as, travel registration fee, hotel accommodation, meals, conference materials for each participant “may be authorized and chargeable against local government fund” subject to the usual COA accounting and auditing rules, the Department of Interior and Local Government said.
There are ten councilors, including the two ex-officios (Sanggniang kabataan and Liga ng mga Barangay) in every town, except for Tagbilaran City having 12, including SK and LnB representatives).
PCL Bohol president Jescelo Adiong of Loay town, an ex-officio member of Sangguniang Panlalawigan, refused to be interviewed until his return.
But he hinted how about municipal mayors who also held their national assembly in Manila recently.
The municipal mayors of Bohol attended the yearly gathering in Manila ahead of the PCL.
Meanwhile, the Jagna mayor did not approve the travel order of the eight SB members to attend the said national assembly in Boracay island, according to Kagawad Anthony Aniscal in his fb post.
The no go-signal given by the municipal mayor Joseph Ranola got the ire of the councilors who wanted to attend the said assembly, Aniscal added.
Aniscal said that if there’s no approved budget for a given year, the preceding annual budget is considered enacted.
Under section 323 of the Local Government Code (RA7160), funds under the reenacted budget to be spent are those for salaries/wages, operation expenditures and essentials.
Is the travel to Boracay essential, he asked.
Aniscal minced no words of saying to those fellow councilors who want to go Boracay island to blame themselves for the non-approval of their travel order.
He said that the majority councilors who are considered opposition to the incumbent administration of Mayor Ranola has yet to pass the town’s annual budget for 2022 and the corresponding Annual Investment Plan (AIP).
Listed in the travel order signed by Vice-Mayor Theodore Abrenilla and human resource officer Maisie Sajulan are councilors Leonardo A. Ocio, Wilfredo R. Vinalon, Maricris V. Jamora, Edsel R. Tutor, Arnoldo D. Peilago, Pacheco Rances, Gusman E. Olaer (representing LnB) and Ramonito P. Macas, representing the Sangguniang Kabataan. (rvo)
