LONG WAIT FOR BONUS

Cebu City Councilor James Cuenco, Finance Committee head (far left), scratches his head as he approaches ACting VIce Mayor Leah Japson who explains to the department heads why the council disapproved the 2016 budget which contains the allocation for the mid-year bonus of some 5, 000 employees during the budget hearing yesterday. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Team Rama dads  disapprove 2016 budget ordinance

Bad news for Cebu City hall employees.

The mid-year bonus equivalent to one month’s pay, which they have been waiting for since May 15, may not be released this month as the three-man council composed of Team Rama councilors denied the approval of the revised 2016 annual budget prepared by Acting Mayor Margot Osmeña, which contained the appropriation for the bonus.

The mid-year bonus is provided under Executive Order 201 signed by President Benigno Aquino III last February, which increased the salaries of government personnel both in the military and civilian sectors and provided additional benefits.

Under E.O. 201, the mid-year bonus equivalent to one month’s pay should be released not earlier than May 15, 2016.

Romeo Manapat, 62, has been expecting his mid-year bonus because Acting Mayor Osmeña had promised them that they would receive it before the end of the month.

“Maayo na lang to pabawn makapuhonan bisan gamay. Mabuhi ta pinaagi sa tarong nga negosyo. Pero karon sakit paminawn (It would have been a parting fund which we could use for small business. So we can survive through a small business. Now it’s painful to hear that it won’t be given this month),” Manapat said.

Manapat, a casual employee assigned at the Civil Security Unit (CSU) for three years, is among the casual employees whose contract ends on June 30 and does not expect to be renewed.

“Syaro na man sad dili sila makonsensya. Dapat makonsensya sila. Wala na gud mi mga trabaho; ana lang ilang buhaton sayon-sayonon lang nila ang mga taw. Mao mana naa mana sa balaod (They have no consciences. We won’t have jobs anymore and they can just easily do that when that money is ours under the law),” he said.

Collective Sense

Councilor James Anthony Cuenco moved to deny the passage of P6 billion annual budget proposal submitted by Acting Mayor Osmeña.

Cuenco said it was the “collective sense of the group” that they do not want to adjudicate unto themselves the decision on whether or not to approve the budget.

“Considering that there are only four of us and with such an important piece of legislation of the annual budget amounting to more than 6 billion pesos, the group decided it will be more prudent to wait until more minds can discuss and deliberate on this budget,” he said.

He said that it left him with no choice because it was the decision of the whole Team Rama party.

He added they considered themselves helpless and unprepared to tackle and intelligently deliberate and scrutinize the budget which he considered a “very important piece of legislation”.

“For so many reasons, number 1, lack of preparations, number 2, uncertainty about who actually is authorized as to who should submit the revised annual budget. There are legal questions that are hanging. Number 3, for most actually is our apprehension because this is such a big budget and kaming tulo nga naglingkod dinhi (the three of us sitting here) except for the presiding officer, wala gyod kabangkaagan intawn parti sa (have no capability to tackle the) budget,” he said.

Cuenco wanted the budget to be passed by the incoming 14th City Council. He said that it is better to wait because in ten days, the new council will assume office and the budget should be deliberated by a full council.
“It’s a party decision. If you ask me personally, I have my own decision but rule of majority man ni,” he said.

Political rivalry

Acting Vice Mayor Lea Japson countered Cuenco’s statement, saying it was the latter who returned the revised annual budget submitted by Outgoing Mayor Michael Rama, so that the new executive department can submit a second revised annual budget considering that the new administration would be the one bound by it.

“I thought we are here as you stated before, even if we’re only four, we can tackle this annual budget. If we can also remember that annual budget submitted by the suspended mayor, approved by this body, P7 billion plus and the new is P6 billion only. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if the incoming councilors apil sa inyong group (including your group), that’s another story. We’re here to address the problem of the City government,” Japson said during the discussion.

Osmeña, meanwhile, said they may have to work on the reenacted budget because by July 15, 2016, the city government should submit a budget for 2017 already.

“Maybe they can just work on the reenacted (budget) and keep it as such and submit a budget for 2017 because by next month, July, the executive office has to start working on the budget for the following year. So what’s the point? July 15 mag-start,” said Osmeña.

During yesterday’s session, Japson, Cuenco and Councilor Richard Osmeña were present while ex officio member, Tisa Barangay Captain Philip Zafra was absent because he was sick.

“Ang mahitabo ana kay ang gusto nila kay tagaan og chance ang incoming Mayor Tommy Osmeña but for me, I don’t think that is the real reason. As stated by James Cuenco, consensus nila sa party. Klaro man kaayo to,” she said.
(They say that they want to give a chance to incoming Mayor Tommy Osmeña but I don’t think this is the real reason. It is very clear that this is a party consensus.)

Vengeance

Japson said this is Team Rama’s way of getting back at the BO-PK councilors because the Supplemental Budget 1 was not approved last year by the council, which was dominated by Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).

“Ang SB 1 wala gyod to ma-approve sa council kay naay valid reason kadtong case. So kani, unsa man atong valid reason? Because of the party decision. Wala tay mahimo ana,” she said.

(The SB1 was not approved by the council because there was a valid reason. In this case, what is our valid reason? Because of a party decision. There’s nothing we can do about that.)

She said because of the disapproval of the budget, it is the first time in the history of Cebu City that the city will not have a budget. And this will create a problem for the city.

“Ang problema nato is katong gipasulod ni suspended Mayor Mike Rama pag January, wala pay sweldo. Since wala na-approve, walay apil sa budget. Walay sweldo. Akong luoyan ang mga empleyado, ilang mga bonus,” she said.

(Our problem is the employees hired by suspended Mayor Mike Rama last January have no salaries yet. Because the 2016 budget was not approved, their salaries are not included in the 2015 budget so they will not get their salaries. I pity the employees who will not get their mid-year bonus.)

Osmeña, meanwhile said, “Motive? Politics. I think that was what the acting vice mayor (Japson) said that it was a party decision. I just feel sorry for them, especially for Councilor Cuenco because in my mind and as I understood it, he was very sincere in his offer to return the budget which he did and for the very reason that he stated when he return the budget,” she said.

The 2016 annual budget

The P6 billion budget includes the mid-year bonus and salary differential for more than 5,000 employees of the city government amounting to P15.8 million.

Aside from this, there is also an allocation for terminal leave (P5 million), monetization (P1 million), city-sponsored projects (P3 million), SRP loan payment (P390 million) and renovations and furniture for the office of incoming Mayor Tomas Osmeña for P2 million.

Osmeña said that the second revised budget which she submitted is almost exactly the same as the budget proposed by Rama except that the city added the statutory obligation payment for the SRP and the bonus.

“We did our share, the ball was in their hands so apparently they threw the ball back. That’s it, so it stays there na and what’s the point? I don’t know how the next administration will do it but what’s the point of giving another budget? It will be the same,” she said.