Five members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod have voted against the proposed P2.818-billion 2025 annual budget of Tarlac City, a move critics say was driven by political motivations.
The councilors who rejected the budget are staunch Team Angeles allies: KT Angeles-Go, Henry De Leon, Cesar Go, Liga ng mga Barangay President Cernan Cruz, and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Erika Jean Gozum. All five attended the session via Zoom.
Voting in favor of the budget were Committee on Finance, Budget and Appropriations Chair Vlad Rodriguez, Co-Chair Emily Ladera-Facunla, Peejay Basangan, Joji David, Ricky Diolazo, and Ace Manalang. Councilor Ato Chua was out of the country during the vote but is said to have supported the measure.
Rodriguez and Diolazo are running for Second District Board Member, while Ladera-Facunla, Basangan, David, and Chua are seeking reelection. Manalang is running for vice mayor, while Vice Mayor Aro Mendoza, who presided over the session, is seeking a council seat.
Critics alleged that political pressure from Mayor Cristy Angeles and her husband, mayoralty bet Vic Angeles, influenced the five councilors’ votes. They also pointed out the irregular attendance of the opposing councilors during budget hearings—often absent or attending only virtually.
BUDGET SLASHES QUESTIONED
During the April 22 session, Councilor Angeles-Go criticized the committee for slashing several budget items, claiming political bias. However, Ladera-Facunla defended the cuts, explaining they were based on unjustified budget increases and historical spending trends.
She cited several examples, such as:
- Medicines: Despite a P12-million surplus last year, an additional P65 million was requested this year.
- DSWD Kits: A P4-million increase was proposed despite last year’s P1-million allocation.
- School Kits: From last year’s P65 million, a P70-million allocation was proposed—even if item costs totaled less than P30 million.
- Garbage Collection: The budget jumped from P82 million last year to a proposed P130 million.
Ladera-Facunla clarified that no essential services would be halted, emphasizing that all programs and projects would continue—many even exceeding past beneficiary numbers.
COUNCIL TENSIONS RISE
Vice Mayor Mendoza confronted Angeles-Go over her remarks calling the council a “clown show” and accusing members of politicizing the budget.
“I remind our councilors, we are here to work on the annual and supplemental budgets. We are not here to play games or be clowns,” Mendoza asserted, requesting to strike out Angeles-Go’s statements from the official record.
He also challenged Angeles-Go to justify her claims, noting her frequent absences during budget deliberations, which were open to all council members.
MOVING FORWARD
Despite the political tension, pro-budget councilors remain firm that the approved programs and services are grounded in data and fiscal responsibility.
“Our colleagues who opposed this budget had minimal participation during hearings. To now call our work politically motivated is not only inaccurate but also unfair,” Ladera-Facunla concluded.
