Transparency in Cotabato provincial govt urged

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines – The Cotabato provincial board has urged the provincial government to post online all the transactions involving budget appropriations, bidding of supplies, and other materials for infrastructure and other projects. This request was contained in a resolution authored by Cotabato 2nd district board member Reynaldo Pagal, chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Committee on Budget and Appropriations, that was approved by the body in its 61st regular session held here last Tuesday. “We want everything to be transparent. We want people to know how their money was spent or would be spent,” said Cotabato vice-governor Manny Piñol, who also chairs the provincial board. The passage of the resolution came a week after Piñol criticized the provincial government for declaring as “abandoned” and “discontinued” two road projects in the towns of Matalam and President Roxas. He alleged that funds amounting to P5 million and intended for the road construction were diverted to other uses. Piñol said he only knew of such “fund diversion” after Provincial Engineer Peter Salac appeared before the provincial board in one of their sessions early this month. Salac, at that time, admitted that the Manopal road project in Manopal village, Matalam, and the Kamarahan road rehabilitation in Del Carmen village, President Roxas, have been discontinued. Salac disclosed that it was provincial budget officer Minda Luz Sellona who said that the provincial government has already abandoned those road projects. Sellona, when asked to explain during the 60th regular session of the SP on September 16, defended that the diversion has been approved by the SP last November 2007. “The budget office could not allow it to happen had it not been approved by the SP,” Sellona told the board. Piñol, though a bit surprised, said that at that time the board approved the diversion he was in the US to attend to a very personal matter. “So to make all government transactions transparent, the board has urged the provincial government to post online all budget appropriations, disbursements, and bidding of all projects,” he said. - Malu Cadelina Manar, GMANews.TV