Occidental Mindoro's 2021 Budget

We are just fooling ourselves by saying that the recent tussle between the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the PGO over the 2021 annual budget has NOTHING to do with 2022 elections. It was political (partisanship) in every aspect, to put it plain and simple.

This issue came shortly after President Digong's recent disclosure of DPWH alleged anomalies and in the midst of glaring presence or visibility of known political personalities and other serious concerns that Occidental Mindoro are facing with regards to economic and social disturbances brought about by typhoons, the deceptively and highly politicized issue of power, and the COVID-19 pandemic which, as we all know, became a global health debacle.

The budget proposal is amounting to PhP 1.8-billion being the health sector with the highest allocation of P441,008,005.04.

It is easy to say or think that the SP just doing its mandate under the law that is why the prolonged the deliberation. True, under our present democratic set-up, there is separation of power between the three branches of the government: Executive, Judiciary and Legislative. The spirit of check and balances should run in the very veins of our government.

There is only a hairline difference between governance and politicking and only TIME and TENURE could judge us in that aspect. But how will the SP justify the allegation that the process been deliberately fast tracked and some of the members of the august body were not able to participate and considered absent? 

The executive holds the power of the “sword” and the judiciary the “pen” while the legislature has the power of the “purse.” Needless to say, the power of the “purse” is the ultimate weapon of any legislative body in its arsenal that can be utilized in extreme situations such as partisan political ends. In our case, the Governor only proposes the budget but it is still the SP that has the final say on where that budget should go. And that is the main meat of contention.

History taught us that in the Philippines, it is a blatant reality that this so-called power of the “purse” is used as a tool for (partisan) politics. Tell me that this is not true and I will tell you this: “Tell that to the Marines!”

The main target here is not the whole 2021 proposed budget per se but in the long run, the weight of the gavel will be pounded on the specific budget for the Office of the Governor. To assure that the public coffer will not be used for (partisan) political purposes as the elections go near and now that the rivalry of the two personalities vying for gubernatorial seat is very evident at this early point of time.

Budgeting nitty-gritties such as this between the legislative and the executive branch did not happen in recent memory. It is because the governor and the vice-governor came from the same political group. Both of them can cite provisions on fiscal management and common good but, as I have discussed earlier, the grey area in such line of argument is tremendous.

Indeed, with the re-enacted budget, government services will not be hampered, generally speaking. There could be supplemental budget but that could only be availed in the succeeding quarters of the year. Let us not forget that in our battle with the pandemic and the implementation of basic PPAs, specifically AKAP Hub, this administration's banner health program, will be greatly affected ergo, the people will suffer. 

The re-enacted budget really would not all together hamper the delivery of services of the PLGU but that would make it start with the wrong foot, so to speak. If the province will start on the re-enactment budget on the first quarter or second quarter of 2021, the PGO cannot commence its PPAs favorable to its plans, whatever plans they have.

We cannot allow our people, especially those deprived of government services and been neglected for more than 30 years, once again be sacrificial pawns in the altar of "redundant" politics.

This happenstance will surely drop down and be greatly considered come 2022 when the people who are tired of and fed up with long bankrupt political style in the province cast their votes.

The main dough here is (partisan) politics. The rest, like the supposed “unrealistic” target revenues and income projections, the issue of unemployment, etc., are just icings, believe me.

Unless we are just fooling ourselves.