Maybe it’s foresight, but Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama certainly knew what he was doing when he decided to increase the cash assistance given to senior citizens from P3,000 to P10,000 then to P12,000 a year.
He did this by scheduling the release of assistance once every quarter or once every three months. To recall, the mayor made the announcement more than four years ago on the last State of the City Address of his first term in office, and it was this promise that helped him trump his predecessor, former Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Even if it meant increasing the budget and then finding other sources of revenue to support the cash assistance to the seniors and other beneficiaries like scholars and persons with disabilities (PWDs), the Rama administration pulled all stops to fulfill its promise to the constituents.
Not even the prospect of facing charges for violating a ban on projects and services imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) during the election period is enough to deter the mayor from pushing through with the release of cash assistance for seniors scheduled for today.
Having pending complaints against him at the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in relation to the P20,000 calamity assistance given to every city government official and employee, Rama isn’t expected to back down from the threat of BO-PK councilors to file charges against him for possible violation of the Comelec election ban.
In fact, the BO-PK councilors’ eagerness to file charges may be playing straight into the mayor’s hands. Rama could simply point them out to the seniors and accuse them of being obstructionists, of blocking the implementation of the cash aid if only to score brownie points with city residents.
That said, if the cash distribution does push through, it will be interesting to see how City Hall personnel handle it and if Team Rama candidates will be on site to campaign during the activity.
Rama could make an appearance and come out with the alibi that he is merely overseeing the implementation of the cash aid distribution. But why would he show up at any cash aid distribution venue, specifically at one that is populated with a lot of seniors, only now when the campaign period is in full swing?
By then, a case can be filed against Team Rama. But would they show up? That’s the question their critics want answered. Having used last Monday’s flag-raising ceremony to introduce their lineup to City Hall employees, Team Rama may find the prospect of shaking hands with the senior cash aid beneficiaries too good to pass up.
It’s too late in the day for the BO-PK to file a complaint that would prohibit today’s scheduled cash distribution for seniors. How City Hall would handle it will decide whether Team Rama could be charged with politicking or not.
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