CEBU, Philippines - Following reports of forfeiture on the P50-million fund for Cebu City urban poor, Division for the Welfare of Urban Poor (DWUP) chief Atty. Collin Rosell defended the City Government.
Rosell reiterated that both civil society and the city government, through his office, prepared two Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP) as opposed to the reported absence which led to forfeiture.
The DWUP chief, tackling politics meddling on urban poor matters, warned against national officials affiliated with the mayor’s opponents allegedly confusing the minds of settlers.
LPRAP, as defined by the joint memorandum circular, is the LGU plan drawn up through a participatory process to address the needs of the poor.
“There was an LPRAP and there were even 2 LPRAPs,†the DWUP chief stressed.
“The CSO 4 signatories are not the ones specified by the (memorandum) plus the signatures were signed by other persons indicated by “forâ€. It was also submitted for signature to the mayor without the latter having convened the same, and only after the time for submission/deadline lapsed,†the city government official said.
“As to composition the representatives of the government is unequal to that of the CSOs. The LPRAT was not convened by the mayor,†Rosell added.
“On the other side, the bigger question would be, how about the LPRAP/LPRAT for 2013? Where is the budget? Who convened the LPRAT? What is the content of the LPRAP? The projects? Is the mayor being by passed for the second time?,†he continued. – (FREEMAN)