UNITED FRONT. Former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama (seventh from right) with former mayor Alvin Garcia (sixth from left) link arms with City Councilors Joel Garganera, Philip Zafra, Joey Daluz, Alvin Raymund Garcia Jr., Jocelyn Pesquera, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, Jonathan Guardo, Edu Rama, Hanz Abella, Jun Alcover, Dave Tumulak and James Cuenco after the City Council’s inaugural session. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Councilors identified with Team Rama don’t see any problem with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s refusal to issue them any service vehicles.
“Not one of the councilors from Team Rama has requested for a service vehicle (from the General Services Office of the city government). We won’t be hampered in serving our constituents,” Councilor James Anthony Cuenco said.
Cuenco said he uses his own car and never requested any service vehicle from the city government.
But Cuenco and fellow Team Rama councilors hope that transportation subsidies will still be given by the Osmeña administration.
“I do not know if they will still release for a transportation allowance. Maayo unta kung naa (It would be nice if they would provide),” Cuenco said.
General Services Office (GSO) head Ronald Malacora confirmed that his office didn’t receive any request for service vehicles from Team Rama affiliate councilors.
Malacora also said the councilors can still opt for transportation allowance if their request has been denied by the mayor. He said the transportation allowance for each councilors is P8,500 a month.
The mayor approved the issuance of service vehicles for Councilors Roberto Andales, Mary Ann de los Santos and four councilors under the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).
Osmeña earlier issued a memorandum to all departments, including the Cebu City Council, requiring them to seek prior approval from his office before securing vehicles, offices or anything in City Hall.
Malacora said based on the law, all buildings and properties in Cebu City Hall are under the mayor’s office and are handled by the General Services Office.
In refusing to issue city-owned vehicles to Team Rama councilors, Osmeña said he was just following the policy of his predecessor, former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama who also did not issue any vehicle to BO-PK councilors.
Osmeña said issuing cars to barangay officials that were allied with Team Rama would be done on a case-to-case basis.
The mayor said the vehicles formerly issued to Team Rama councilors and barangay officials have been turned over to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO)./UP Cebu Intern Patrick Byron G. Gattoc