Lawyer demands release of aid for seniors

WHERE is the financial assistance for senior citizens in Cebu City this year?

Lawyer Remelio Delute, a supporter of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK), had this question in mind when he sent a demand letter to Mayor Michael Rama dated March 19.

“Please consider this letter as a formal demand to pay or release the financial assistance to qualified Senior Citizens in accordance with the provision of Ordinance No. 247 or the Annual Budget for Calendar year 2015 approved on December 30, 2014,” read Delute’s letter to Rama.

He pointed out that under Section 5 of the budget ordinance, the P720-million appropriation for the P12,000-cash assistance to around 60,000 seniors in the city should be released on a monthly basis.

As such, Delute said it is the mayor’s “mandated duty” to release the financial assistance to qualified senior citizens at P1,000 every month.

Late January, the city government distributed P3,000 to senior citizens in the city.

The amount includes the P2,000 balance of the city from the assistance due last year. The remaining P1,000 is the first tranche of the assistance for this year.

Since it is already March, P3,000 should have already been released from the appropriation this year.

“Hence, to avoid the risk of being charged for dereliction of duty, please release the said financial assistance to qualified senior citizens in accordance with the aforementioned ordinance,” Delute said.

He gave the mayor ten days from receipt of the letter to release the amount.

Copies of the letter were furnished to the Ombudsman, city treasurer Diwa Cuevas, city attorney Jerone Castillo, vice mayor Edgardo Labella, councilor Margot Osmeña who heads the committee on budget and finance, councilor Sisinio Andales who heads the committee on laws, the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) and the Department of Finance.