The Socrates administration and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan have exchanged blame for the reenactment of the 2025 budget, which has forced the Capitol to operate under the reenacted 2024 budget. This budget covers only essential expenses, such as salaries and maintenance, and does not allocate funds for any new development initiatives.
Provincial Information Officer Atty. Christian Jay Cojamco told Palawan News they are using the 2024 budget figures to keep their operations afloat because they have not yet received a transmittal of the budget ordinance supposedly approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on January 7, 2025.
“Kumbaga, ico copy-paste mo yung budget for 2025 with deductions kasi hindi naman pwedeng i-copy-paste entirely. Ang pwede lang dalhin sa reenacted budget ay yung salary ng reguar employees and yung essential operating expenses para mapanatili lang na bukas ang opisina,” Cojamco said in an interview with Palawan News.
He explained that under the reenacted appropriations, hiring of contractual employees is not considered as essential because offices can be maintained and remain open because they are just support staff to regular employees.
“Yung funds for infrastructure projects and programs like financial assistance, scholarship program, ay hindi pwedeng magamit. Kaya sa ngayon, hindi rin natin masimulan yung biddings ng infra projects,” he said.
The Provincial Information Office (PIO) on Wednesday released an official statement that the provincial government is operating under a reenacted budget because the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has not yet transmitted the 2025 appropriations ordinance to the Office of the Provincial Governor and thus, Gov. Victorino Dennis Socrates has not yet signed it.
The PIO issued the statement after Socrates instructed Cojamco to follow up with the Sangguinang Panlalawigan regarding the status of the budget ordinance.
“So sumulat kami sa secretariat kung ano ang status hanggang ngayon ay wala pa tayong natatanggap na sagot,” he said.
“Last January 2, nag-clarify agad tayo sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan kung naipasa ba nila bago matapos yung taon at sabi nga nila hindi so simula January 1, nag-take effect yung reenacted budget,” Cojamco noted.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the ordinance only last January 7 during their first regular session for 2025.
Cojamco further explained that once received and signed by the governor, it will be submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for review.
“Although yung DBM review ay hindi sya condition precedent para mag-take effect yung budget, The DBM will just check if there are disallowances, hindi yun magagamit. We will just be notified and it will be deducted,” he stated.
He likewise said with the delayed passing of the apporpriations ordinance, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan could be held administratively liable.
“Sa mga guidelines na inilabas ng DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government), binabanggit doon na yung failure to timely pass annual budget ay may corresponding administrative liabilities yung mga opisyales na nagkulang or naging cause ng delay,” he explained.
For his part, Board Member and head of the SP appropriations committee Anton Alvarez explained that the budget is still with their secretariat for incorporation of revisions made during their budget deliberations.
He said that they have accomplished their task of scrutinizing the budget and denied they were the cause of delay in its passing.
“Basta kami ginawa lang trabaho at ini-scrinutinize namin mabuti ang budget,” he told Palawan News.
He accused the executive of not cooperating during the budget hearing.
“Liable din si gov kase pinigilan nya ung dep heads umattend sa mga budget hearing,” Alvarez told Palawan News.
Under the Local Government Code (Republic Act No. 7160), a local government unit (LGU) must pass its annual budget for the upcoming year before the start of that year. For 2025, the local government must pass its budget by December 31, 2024.
 for review.){kind=link}