Councilor to file case against Rama on seniors, PWD cash aid

Cebu City Councilor Sisinio Andales said he will push through with filing a case against Mayor Michael Rama and other officials in relation to the disbursement of incentives and cash assistance.

Mayor Rama announced the distribution of the P2,000 financial assistance to senior citizens on April 15. Persons with disabilities (PWDs) will get their P1,000 aid on April 18.

The incentives for barangay officials were already released by the city government last Tuesday, April 5, despite a warning from an official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) who said the city needs to get an exemption from the commission first.

“Our lawyers are still collecting what’s necessary so we can file a case before the Comelec. The mayor, the city treasurer and the city accountant are in a conspiracy,” Andales told Cebu Daily News.

He said city officials, especially those running for elective offices should heed Comelec guidelines especially since it’s already the campaign period.

Andales said the plan to file a case against the mayor is his own initiative and is not supported by his party Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).

Former city mayor and BO-PK founder Tomas Osmena earlier said the group doesn’t have to go to the extent of filing cases on the issue of the distribution of aid.

City Legal Office Jerone Castillo, in a legal opinion, explained that since the barangay incentive is for “services already rendered,” they don’t need an exception from the Comelec since it’s not expressly stated among the prohibited acts under the Omnibus Election Code.

On the distribution for senior citizens and PWDs, Castillo also said in their legal opinion that the distribution is part of “routine and normal expenses” that are not covered by the election ban.

He said this was listed as one of the exemptions in an order from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) dated March 29.