After Rama's rejection: Camarillo receives City Council award

CEBU, Philippines - After having shutout from the list of the individual awardees for the Cebu City Charter Day celebration because Mayor Michael Rama was not impressed with her performance, assistant city treasurer Tessie Camarillo was honored yesterday by the City Council.

Camarillo almost broke in tears while receiving her plaque of recognition from the council because of her “outstanding performance” in enlightening the council about the 2012 annual budget proposal of Rama.

It was Camarillo who told the City Council that the P11.8 billion budget proposal of the mayor was impossible to attain prompting the mayor to designate assistant treasurer Emma Villarete to defend his budget.

“I’m very happy. It’s a great, great award that I have received during my stay in City Hall. This is the first and maybe this will be the last and I’m very proud of this award,” Camarillo told reporters.

 “Nakadayeg g’yud mi sa iyang performance mao nga nakahukom mi nga ha-tagan siya og award (we appreciate her performance that’s the reason why we decided to give her an award) ,” said Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young.

Rama earlier deleted Camarillo’s name from the list of individual awardees for the 75th Charter Day celebration of the city. The awarding is scheduled on Friday during the testimonial dinner to be hosted by the city government at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.

Rama also deleted the Asian College of Technology on the list for institution awardees. ACT is owned by Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa, a known political ally of south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña.

The City Council has chosen Camarillo and ACT to be among the awardees based on the recommendation from the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC).

Like Camarillo, ACT would have been given recognition by the council yesterday but Abellanosa begged off. He instead delivered a privilege speech where he lambasted the mayor.

According to Abellanosa, CHAC recommended his school but Rama did not respect the recommendation.

He said CHAC was duly created by law and composed of men and women of integrity who are mostly appointed by the mayor himself.

“Well this is not the first time we have seen his brand of what I call unorthodox democracy with veiled autocracy where he gives a semblance of democracy by making his people and even bodies of authority such as CHAC to work on recommendation, but in the end – his will be done,” Abellanosa said.

Rama denied that it was his personal decision to exclude ACT on the list of institutions to be awarded tomorrow.

Rama said CHAC deliberated the final list during its February 14 meeting which was only attended by two councilors – Lea Japson and Roberto Cabarrubias.

He said that the deliberation on who should be recommended by CHAC as awardees for outstanding individuals and institutions followed the right procedure as in the ordinance.

Apparently, the list that reached the council was not the final one, Rama said.

Rama said that deliberating the list without his approval is even contrary to what has been practiced by the city government since 1992.

“Supposedly, the council will deliberate after the approval of the mayor. That is to spare the nominees from embarrassment if they don’t get to be approved by the mayor,” Rama said.

He said that the ordinance clearly states that Charter Day awardees must be approved by both the mayor and the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

“If either of the SP or the mayor disapproves, then there will be no awardee,” Rama said.

“We also have to remember that there are other schools providing scholarship. How much does ACT earn from the city government through the scholarship? They are the one supposed to be giving award to the city,” he added.

Explaining Camarillo’s exclusion from the list of awardees, Rama said that it has never happened that a city hall insider is awarded during the testimonial dinner because there is supposed to be another awarding for outstanding city hall employees.

“If they really want her to be awarded, then nominate her for the outstanding department head,” Rama said.

There are 20 individuals and institutions that will be awarded tomorrow.

There will be four individual awardees, five institutions, one posthumous awardee and 10 mayor’s special awardees. Of the 10 special awardees, six were individuals and four were institutions and establishments. — (FREEMAN)