Council defers Rama’s authorization to hire consultants

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council has deferred Mayor Michael Rama’s authority to sign and enter into contracts with nine persons whom the mayor wants to hire as his consultants because Rama also scrapped the proposed budget for the city legislators’ consultants in the 2013 annual budget.

Councilor Roberto “Bob” Cabarrubias, one of the city legislators allied with the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), said some members of the City Hall’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) told him that they are still formulating the policy about the hiring of the city legislator’s consultants.

Even if the P3.1 million proposed budget for the City Council’s consultants was scrapped by those who drafted the annual budget, Rama said the city legislators can still hire their consultants and their honorariums will just be charged against the P5 million budget for the mayor’s consultants.

In the Cebu City Council’s regular session yesterday, Councilor Edgardo Labella proposed resolutions authorizing the mayor to renew the contracts of service of Nicanor Maglasang, consultant for senior citizens concerns and Cerwin Eviota, consultant for communication and training.

Cabarrubias also proposed to allow the mayor to sign for the renewal of contracts of Joseph Abellar for engineering services, former councilor Ar-senio Pacaña for tourism and heritage concerns, Franklin Seno for hillyland development and management and Jodelyn May Seno for personnel-related matters.

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña also proposed that Rama be allowed to renew the contracts of services of Angel Espiritu for protocol and consular affairs; Elvis Somosot for music, arts and culture; and Rene Gregorio Bautista, consultant for the People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB).

If their contracts will be passed by the City Council, each of said consultants will receive P18,000 monthly honorarium even if they will not report everyday to City Hall.

The City Council approved Councilor Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa’s suggestion that the Bids and Awards Committee will furnish the city legislators with the copy of the guidelines on how to avail of consultants for both the executive and legislative departments that will be charged from the mayor’s P5 million budget.

The matter will be discussed again by the City Council on next week’s session. — (FREEMAN)