3 Cebu city councilors return P20,000 calamity aid

AFFECTED by adverse public opinion, three Cebu City councilors returned the P20,000 calamity assistance each received from City Hall last December.

“Sakit kaayo ang public opinion,” said Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias after hearing and reading media commentaries about the aid distributed to all city employees and officials.

“Dili ko kaagwanta nga hasta akong mga amigo lain na tinan-awan nako nga mura ug nawng nako ug kwarta.”

(I’m hurt by public opinion. I can’t take it. Even my friends are looking at me as if I’m greedy for money.)

He returned P20,000 cash to the city treasurer’s office about 10 a.m. yesterday before he left for Mindanao to attend a friend’s wedding.

A day earlier, Councilor Alvin Dizon returned his share to OIC city treasurer Diwa Cuevas and was issued a receipt. He said he pawned something he owned to pay back the city since the P20,000 aid was already spent.

Cabarrubias and councilor Eugenio Gabuya followed on Friday.

“Wala mi nag sabot ani. We just did what we think is the appropriate thing to do,” said Cabarrubias.

Dizon said he decided to return the cash because of the “cloud of doubt” on the legality of its release after it was reported that the Office of the President was looking into an administrative complaint filed by private lawyer Remelio Delute against Mayor Michael Rama and other city officials who approved the aid and an P84.5 million budget for it.

Councilors are scheduled to file their reply to Delute’s complaint on Monday.

“While the issue of legality of the disbursement is yet to be resolved, it is only proper that I return the money to the city’s coffers,” Dizon said.

Dizon said he was aware that returning the money would not absolve him from liability in case the Office of the President declares the disbursement illegal.

“Let me point out that I am fully aware that my act of returning the money would not in any way exempt me from any possible consequences. The complaint was already filed and I am ready to answer the accusations,” said Dizon.

What he could not stand, Dizon said, was the adverse public opinion over the spending.

“As an elected public official, it is incumbent upon me to be sensitive to informed public opinion.

Public opinion is important in a functioning democracy since this serves as checking mechanism of the propriety or impropriety of official acts that we do as public leaders. More so that this issue involves the use of public funds,” he said.

Dizon said he received the P20,000 cash “in good faith” and spent the money to help his family in his native Ormoc City, Leyte.

“Our house was damaged by the supertyphoon,” he said.

Cabarrubias said he also gave part of his calamity assistance to south district constituents who visited his office last December to seek financial help or Christmas gifts.

He said he pawned a valuable item this week to raise the P20,000 cash to give to the city treasurer.

A councilor receives P30,000 to P35, 000 a month as honorarium.

“But no regrets. I wanted to return the money to show the people that my intention is really to serve,” he added.

Cabarrubias said he would also accept any suspension order if it comes to that.

What’s important, he said, is that the money isn’t with him anymore and that he has a clear conscience.