Newly-elected Quezon City Councilor Winnie Castelo yesterday rallied his colleagues in the City Council for the immediate, deliberate and speedy passage of the supplemental budget being pushed by Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte.
Castelo, who represents Quezon City’s District 2, said the supplemental budget will help sustain and realize the pet projects and pro-people programs of Belmonte, especially on housing and social services.
“I call on the other councilors to approve without delay the needed additional fund.”
The former lawmaker also threw his support to all the revenue generating initiatives of Belmonte in a bid to boost the city’s coffers, which reports said, would only amount to P1.6 billion by yearend.
“I fully agree with the wisdom of the mayor on the fiscal position of the city and I call on the other councilors to approve without delay the needed additional fund,” Castelo said.
Owing to the recent clarification made by Belmonte on the true state of the city’s financial standing, Castelo also urged the council to push for measures that will “prevent pilferage and losses to the government due to mismanagement, indifference and corruption.”
Earlier, outgoing city administration officials claimed some P26 billion is still remaining in the city’s coffers, but Belmonte, after verification, clarified that only P1.6 billion will be left by yearend.
“For a city that has an area one-fourth of all of Metro Manila and a population of 3.1 million, means a budget for the remainder of the year of only P516 for every Quezon City resident,” Belmonte said.
In response, Belmonte said is eyeing to immediately convene the 21st Quezon City Council to enact a supplemental budget ordinance.