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.