Tomas nixes P4K stipend bid for army reserves

Councilor Dave Tumulak said there is nothing he can do about Mayor Tomas Osmeñas decision. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña turned down a proposal from the City Council to grant reservists of the Armed Forces a P4,000 honorarium from the city government.

In his veto message, the mayor said he’s not convinced they deserve to receive the honorarium since “they never demonstrated any willingness nor initiative to assist in peace and order.”

“The Philippine Marine Reserve, of which I am the commanding officer, has accomplished 100 times more and they ask for nothing,” he said in his veto message.

The mayor said his main priority for now is the Cebu City College Scholarship Program.

The council earlier approved a resolution by Councilor Dave Tumulak asking the mayor to include in his next supplemental budget an item granting a P4,000 honorarium for the 500-strong Armed Forces Reserve personnel.

They were deployed in Cebu following the bombing incident in Davao and had been coordinating with the police and military in securing and maintaining peace and order in the city.

Tumulak said there’s nothing he can do about the mayor’s decision.

He said he won’t try and convince Osmeña to reconsider his decision though he hopes that he will change his mind.

During yesterday’s council session, Councilor Jose Daluz III said the mayor didn’t have to issue a veto message on the proposal since it was just a resolution and not an ordinance.

Daluz said Osmeña could have just opted not to honor the council’s request.