City Hall employees call for passage of SB1

Hundreds of Cebu City Hall and barangay employees crowded Plaza Sugbu early today to call on members of the city council to already pass Supplemental Budget 1 (SB1) which included a P78 million appropriation for payment of employees Performance Enhancement Incentives (PEI).

Smelly garbage trucks were also lined up on roads beside the city hall legislative building.

Text messages were circulated among city hall employees on Tuesday night asking them to wear white t-shirts and black arm bands during the protest which started about 8:30 am.

A similar text message, which is said to have come from the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) was also sent to senior citizens.

Mayor Michael Rama joined protesters who left their city hall offices at about 9am.

Councilor Margot Osmeña said the council cannot approve the SB1 totaling to more than P2 billion because of a pending case against use of the South Reclamation Project (SRP) lot sales, which Rama has identified to fund the said appropriation.

Osmeña said executive should find other fund sources like continuing appropriation to especially fund employees PEI release.

City Accountant Marietta Gumia, according to Osmeña, certified the availability of more than P1 billion in funds from continuing appropriations which dates back from 2007 that may be used to fund the SB1.

SB1 include appropriations for SRP loan payments, garbage tipping fee and assistance for Abella clan reunion.