Tom slams council after it reduced proposed landfill rehab budget

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña

CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña again threatens to dump the city’s garbage in the South Road Properties or in front of the Legislative Building of City Hall after the City Council reduced the proposed budget for the rehabilitation and closure of the Inayawan landfill from P600 million to P85 million.

This was one of the items slashed by the City Council during last Thursday’s special session tackling the proposed P7.2-billion budget for next year.

The City Council reduced the proposed budget by a billion to P6.1 billion.

“How can I move to another landfill when they removed the P600 million? No, it is not enough to put the garbage somewhere else,” he said.

The budget report said that the rehabilitation and closure of the landfill was not covered by a program of works and estimates (Powe), but Osmeña said it is not an enough excuse.

“Because if it is a lump sum, I still have to go back to them for approval. They are just trying to block it,” he said.

Now that the budget has been reduced, Osmeña said he would not be able to bid it out.

He said that the garbage collection would still continue, but the problem would be finding a place to dump it.

He said that it is the Team Rama–dominated council’s way of being obstructionists.

“I don’t know which company is going to participate. So they want me to tell who the winning bidder is, what the amount is and which landfill? How can I do that? I cannot even bid it out?” asked Osmeña.

He added that they have a general idea where the P600 million would be spent.
“They are just so bitter. They are blinded already. The only thing I can do is explain to the people that this is what is happening,” he said.

If the SRP will be used as a dumping area, Osmeña said that he would sue City Councilor Joel Garganera for creating a hazardous condition.

“I am not given the money by these people who are filing a case against me. I should file a case against them for harassment,” he said.

“That is his (Garganera) fault because they did not appropriate a P600 million,” he said.

Osmeña said that creating a health hazard could be a legal basis.

Garganera dare

Meanwhile, Garganera challenged Osmeña to dump the garbage in the areas where he wants to dump it.

“It is very hard to appropriate something when we don’t even know what the timeline is,” he said.

Garganera said he asked the assessment of the Environmental Management Bureau on the matter.

“EMB showed me the Powe, and it is P85 million,” he said.

Also, from the proposed P132 million, the proposed budget for the hiring of job order workers of the long life medical assistance program was reduced to P103 million.

Scavengers search for things that they can use or sell from garbage dumped by a Cebu City garbage truck at the Inayawan landfill. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Osmeña said that they are now distributing flyers to the 24,000 beneficiaries of the program.

He said this is to inform the patients that the council does not want the program to continue.

The proposed budget for the antidrug campaign was also reduced from P50 million to P5 million.

“Maybe they (council) are expecting support from the drug lords in the coming barangay elections. What else can you think about? What does that mean?” Osmeña asked.

He added that the drug lords might have offered them assistance.

The P30-million proposal for the garnishment of the Roque Ting property which was earlier ordered by the Supreme Court was also reduced to P1 million.

“Roque Ting was willing to settle. Now it is P30 million. Maybe they are working with Roque Ting because the interest keeps building up,” he said.