Political suicide

Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella hit  the nail on the head  when he surmised  the likely reason that city  councilors of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) refuse to deliberate on  Supplemental Budget No. 1.  The budget proposal    would pay off the city’s foreign loan for the reclamation of the South Road Properties (SRP), cover garbage tipping fees and  incentive pay for city employees, and some other obligations.

Labella correctly pointed out that if the BO-PK-dominated council would approve the budget with some cuts – for example, approving only the outlay for employees’ incentive pay – and the mayor vetoes  the slashed budget which deletes other important provisions, the majority bloc lacks the   numbers to  override the veto with a two-thirds vote.

Under the law, the city legislature can  approve with cuts the budget proposed by the mayor  or disapprove it altogether.  It is not within the purview of the law for the council to sit on the budget proposal.

Clearly the BO-PK bloc won’t let the supplemental budget pass as is.  They  also refuse to exercise its power to disapprove the budget because by doing so it would appear that they are  opposing it for no apparent reason than  partisan politics, which is an act of  political suicide.

They  know that the mayor would  veto their action  and that they can’t muster the votes to override a veto.

I must admit that an opposition in the council is necessary for democracy. They perform a very important function in a deliberative assembly but what appalls me is how  BO-PK members have sat on the budget and dished out lies to justify their action.

First,  it criticized items for the  terminal leave payment for some former councilors like  Edu Rama and Joey Daluz.  These  councilors are entitled to the  payment. They  even waited for the right time   and were prudent  enough not to ask to be paid until the city had enough funds through the SRP lot sale.

Councilor Edu Rama pointed out  the difference between them and former councilors Jun Pe and Yayoy Alcoseba who also received  terminal leave pay.

The BO-PK then raised the inclusion in the supplemental budget of  payment to a caterer of a  city-sponsored event.  The caterer happens to be the girlfriend of Councilor Gerry Carillo. The girlfriend answered the issue squarely, saying her money  claim went through the normal process and was even approved by the budget committee headed by Councilor Margot Osmeña. There was  no anomaly that accompanied the payment claim which was a legitimate one.

The latest justification of the BO-PK came from Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos who objected to the outlay for garbage tipping fees, saying the council had already allocated more than enough for the purpose.

But Mayor Rama said then by all means the council has the power to cut this out of the proposed budget and not  sit on the entire proposal.

Councilor Nida Cabrera expressed surprise over the increased volume of garbage collected  from January to September compared to the  entire previous year. City consultant  Jade Ponce clarified that the figures just goes to   show that  garbage collection in the city is done well  and not left uncollected and thrown into  rivers or esteros.