Rama warns BO-PK-led council: Don’t hold supplemental budget hostage
A FRUSTRATED Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday warned councilors that they face legal sanctions if they don’t act on the proposed P3.32-billion supplemental budget before the year ends.
“If there are matters that are stalled, and are stalled illegally, then I will tell Jerone (Castillo): Let’s be legal this time because we can’t always be held hostage,” Rama told reporters yesterday.
The bulk of the P3.31 billion will be used to pre-terminate the city’s loan for the South Road Properties (SRP).
It also includes P78 million for the Productivity Enhancement Incentives (PEI) of City Hall employees, who have been waiting for the release of the bonus.
Rama, who returned from an overseas trip, said he would meet with City Hall lawyers, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and members of the Local Finance Committee within the week to get updates on the status of Supplemental Budget 1 (SB1).
Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, who heads the council’s committee on budget and finance, said they were still reviewing other items under SB1.
“It’s not that we’re not working on it. We just have to wait for certain documents. And we also have questions on some of the documents they already submitted. It’s still ongoing. We’re working on it,” Osmeña said.
Osmeña and other Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) allies dominate the city council.
The budget committee will meet with City Accountant Mark Salomon and City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas today to discuss the details of SB1.
Among the items that the city council has questioned were the city-sponsored activities covered by a P20-million allotment even without a resolution from the city council.
This includes P117,000 for the Grand Reunion of the Abella Clan as well as the pay-per-view rights for the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight last May.
“These are the questions that we have. It may seem minor or petty, but again, we still have to ask. Because in our minds, that’s questionable,” Osmeña said.
She pointed out that the city council already approved P42 million for city-sponsored activities this year.
The proposed SB1 was submitted by the executive department to the city council last month. Budget deliberations ended two weeks ago, with the LFC and department heads defending the items in the budget.
During a special session on Monday last week, the council approved a resolution asking the executive to release the PEI for the employees, which is equivalent to one month salary, before September 15. The move was questioned by Salomon, who said they can’t release the bonuses if there is no budget ordinance for it.
“I can’t remember a time since 1992 when the executive branch submiteda supplemental budget and then the council would treat it this way.Unya but-an nga kini unya sa, kini unya sa. Pag-submit mo og lain,” .
“That’s not right. If you object to the budget, object. If it’s in order, it’s in order. What’s their problem? Hello?” Rama said.
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