Mayor, vice not signing yet: Proposed aid to solo parents shelved

CEBU, Philippines - Solo parents in Cebu City may have to wait a bit more before they could avail of a financial assistance from the city government.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo’s Solo Parent Ordinance, which the City Council approved recently, is currently stalled as both Mayor Michael Rama and Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella are not signing it just yet.

“I might be really serious into looking into it. I cannot be signing if it cannot be imposed. I cannot be signing if it creates doubt,” said Rama in a press conference held yesterday shortly before his flight to Singapore for another official business.

Rama, who has earlier expressed his reservations about the ordinance, delegated the handling of the ordinance to Labella, as he would be out of Cebu for at least two weeks for his official leave.

But Labella, the acting mayor, said he is not also signing the approval of the ordinance for “propriety and ethical” reasons.

According to him, the Solo Parents Ordinance, along with other ordinances and resolutions received by the Mayor’s Office on May 14 to 16 for the mayor’s approval, has been reverted to the Council Secretariat.

Labella further said that the same documents have reached his desk as acting Mayor for the period specified in Memorandum 2014-2198.

“In the interest of transparency and public accountability, I have categorically refrained from signing these documents, as my signature already appears therein as the Sanggunian’s Presiding Officer, and for reasons of propriety and ethical norms, [I] cannot act as the Presiding Officer and Approving Officer at the same time,” said Labella in a letter to the Council Secretary.

According to the vice mayor, the ordinance shall be deemed approved if the mayor fails to veto or act on it within ten days after its submission. The first day will start once Rama returns to City Hall and perform back as mayor.

Labella has also expressed his reservations about the ordinance, citing some of its provisions.

Just like the sentiment of some of the councilors, Labella said that young parents, whose number has alarmingly increased, cannot actually avail of the cash aid since only solo parents who have voted for three consecutive national elections can avail based on the ordinance.

Carillo, nevertheless, has said earlier that he may consider the observations and suggestions of his fellow councilors before implementing the ordinance.

Labella said that the ordinance can only be amended at least six months after this has been approved.  (FREEMAN)