AN opposition councilor said he would take legal action against Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama if the latter pushes through with the release of the cash incentives to the barangay officials, senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) without approval from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Councilor Sisinio Andales of Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) described Rama’s plans of disbursing the cash incentives as putting one over BO-PK as he is using government funds to influence the people.
“Mahulog gyod na nga pamolitika ni Mike kay gusto gyod siyang mamintaha sa grupo sa BO-PK nga gigamit ang kwarta sa gobyerno para maka-impluwensiya sa mga botante dinhi sa dakbayan sa Sugbo. That’s unfair,” Andales said. (It redounds to Mike’s politicking because he really wants to put one over BO-PK, that he will use government money to influence voters in Cebu City.)
At least two village chiefs allied with BO-PK said they will only accept their cash incentives after the elections because they were unwilling to take the risk that the cash disbursements might be illegal at this time.
But another BO-PK-allied barangay captain is willing to accept the cash incentive if it will be released on Tuesday because it would be the mayor who would face charges, not the recipients.
“Siya may manubag ana, di man kami. Siya may mihatag (He (Rama) will answer, not us),” said Victor Buendia of Barangay Labangon.
Besides, he said, this incentive is covered by ordinance, so this will not be disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA).
Andales said Rama just wanted to get the support of the barangay officials, senior citizens and PWDs as well as their respective families.
He said the Omnibus Election Code clearly provides that fund releases during election period need approval from the Comelec.
“Sa election period, ang hawod dili man ang mayor, ang Comelec man . . . dili ang gobernador, ang Comelec man . . . dili ang presidente, ang Comelec man (During the election period, it is not the mayor who is powerful but the Comelec, not the governor but the Comelec, not the president but the Comelec),” Andales said.
AFTER ELECTIONS
Andales said if Rama would not be able to get a Comelec exemption to disburse funds, then he should not insist on releasing the money. The release can wait after the election, he added.
He, however, said he wouldn’t be surprised if indeed Rama would not heed the Comelec, saying the mayor was used to making shortcuts of the law, recalling the disbursement of P10M as assistance for every barangay, which was disallowed by COA because it was not approved by the city council.
“We will take legal action. Tan-awon nato asa siya kutob. Siya maoy mayor nga naputos og kiha, left and right,” Andales added.
(Let us see how far he will go. He is a mayor who is facing cases left and right.)
Guadalupe Barangay Captain Michael Gacasan and Tejero Barangay Captain Jessielou Cadungog said they are willing to wait until after the election for their cash incentive.
Gacasan said while he was unwilling to take the risk of an illegal disbursement, he still has to talk with his councilors, the barangay treasurer and barangay secretary, who are also among the recipients of the cash incentives.
“Sa pagkakaron pwede ra gyod og di ko modawat ana kay nganong morisgo man ta nga duna man diay problema? (For now, its okay if I will not accept it because why should I take the risk when there could be problems)?” Gacasan said.
Meantime, Tejero Barangay Captian Cadungog said he will get guidance from Comelec and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) if he should accept the cash incentive
“Mag-agad ko unsay balaod sa Comelec. Kon maapil sa ban sa Comelec, wa tay mahimo (I will abide by the law of the Comelec, if this is included in the ban, then there is nothing we can do),” Cadungog explained.
Cadungog said the main purpose of giving incentives to barangay officials is to lure them and this is the reason why barangay captains joined Team Rama.
“Sa pagsugod ana daan pamolitika nana. Mao bitaw nga kasagaran sa mga barangay officials mibalhin sa Team Rama kay daghang kwarta ang administrasyon (From the beginning it was really for politicking. That is the reason why many barangay officials shifted their support to Team Rama because the administration has lots of money),” he said.
But Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Philip Zafra said he believed the release is not covered by the disbursement ban of the Comelec because it is part of the regular operation of city hall.
Zafra, an ally of Rama, said there is nothing political about the release of the money because since 2010, barangay officials have been receiving this and there was never a time when the disbursement was stopped during an election period.