As Councilor Eugenio Gabuya, author of the ordinance, pointed out, they have one recent experience to back up their position not to allow funds and donations to be diverted to other uses.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, who’s fond of juggling funds as he sees fit, let the treasurer tap P300 million dedicated for the city hospital project to fund the release of the last tranche of seniors cash aid last year.
Rama would justify that as mayor, he can dispense the city’s funds as his judgement call as befits one reelected to office. He’s fond of telling critics: “Magdagan og magdaog kang mayor (Run for office and win as mayor first).
That kind of talk doesn’t dissuade state auditors of the Commission on Audit (COA) who have time and again pointed to lapses in the use of funds under the Rama administration. Auditors still question the P20,000 calamity aid awarded by the city government to its employees and officials even when they weren’t directly affected by the October 15 earthquake and supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013.
While he accused the Cebu City Council ruled by the opposition Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) bloc of trying to clip his powers, Rama is quite liberal when it comes to using the city’s coffers which are filled with taxpayers’ money.
The ordinance doesn’t clip his powers when it comes to allocating funds for the CCMC project which he promised to his constituents would be a world-class hospital.
On the contrary, it would ensure that Rama and his administration would hold him to his promise by making sure that every centavo funneled to the trust fund would be used for the CCMC project only and no other purpose.
While criticizing his predecessor, former mayor Tomas Osmeña, of being a dictatorial leader who brooks no opposition, surely Rama appreciates the concept of restrictions that prevent the diversion or juggling of funds for an assortment of purposes that he sees fit.
Or maybe the mayor believes that he is right as usual and isn’t beholden to anyone, except for what he sees to be public interest as defined by his own view.
Rama may not support the ordinance establishing a CCMC trust fund but it’s high time that restrictions are set to make sure that the hospital project gets off the ground and is done right.