Romualdez denies Lacson’s claims

‘Yolanda’ / ‘Haiyan’ file photo. Richard Whitcombe / Shutterstock

MANILA – Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez recently denied Senator Panfilo Lacson’s claim that he asked the senator to get the share of the city on the taxes collected by the national government in advance.

“The city does not need to make a cash advance. What we need is assistance, hindi bale (not an advance),” Romualdez said.

“If you make bale, that means you’ll get all your money for six months and which we’ll spend for one or two months. So on the third month, we have no more money. So what, I’ll close down city hall because we’re bankrupt?” Romualdez added.

The Tacloban mayor said that it was the presidential assistant on reconstruction and rehabilitation who asked him to get the internal revenue allotment or IRA of his city in advance.

“No, no, no. He offered to me na i-advance ‘yung IRA and I turned him down,” the mayor said.

The annual revenue allotment of Tacloban is at P450 million.

Romualdez also complained about the government’s system of extending help to the local government.

“When it comes to help, you help us for five months, give others dole-out, then we will be given IRA. What’s that?”