Rama ready to defend budget

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama has clarified that he and his department heads are already prepared to face members of the Cebu City Council to defend his proposed P11.8 billion budget.

But he insisted that they will appear only during the full council budget hearing.

“Dugay ra ming andam uy.. Sayop na ang giingon nga dili kami preparado pagdepensa sa gi-propose namo nga budget (We have long been prepared),” the mayor told the reporters as he celebrated his 57th birthday at his office yesterday.

It was Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young who said that the department heads are not yet ready to defend their proposed budget. This was after not one of them showed up during last Thursday’s pre-budget hearing of the City Council.

Rama is firm on his decision to allow the department heads, particularly the city treasurer and the budget officer, to face the city legislators only during the full council budget hearing and not during the pre-budget hearing.

The pre-budget hearing is conducted only supposedly by the members of the City Council’s committee on budget and finance headed by Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, although all the councilors decided to attend.

“Kadto og miari pa lang sila, diritso-diritso na man to ba kay dia na gud ming tanang sakop sa City Council (It would have been best had they appeared because all the councilors were already present),” the vice mayor said.

The FREEMAN asked Rama whether there was any instance during his nine years as councilor and nine years as vice mayor that the department heads were invited to the pre-budget hearings, and he said there was.

He refused to elaborate.

The City Council members invited the department heads, particularly city treasurer Tessie Camarillo, to whether the P11.8 billion proposed budget for 2012 is attainable.  (FREEMAN)