Rama eyes court on slashed supplemental budget

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is determined to bring to the court’s attention the slashing of the P256 supplemental budget (SB)-2 by the City Council.

Rama said the council’s decision to slash the budget was not appropriate considering that the items that were not honored are also vital for the welfare of the general public.

“I am very clear during my inaugural address that anything or anyone who will go against for the general welfare, I will drag the matter before the court. I am very clear on that,” Rama stressed.

The council on Thursday has slashed the SB-2 to P124.91 million, more than half of the original amount in the statement of supplemental appropriations of P256.86-million.

For the General Fund, the council has approved P109,455,741.15 while P15,456,731 for the Special Accounts making the total of P124,912,472 supplemental appropriations for this year.

Rama specifically pointed out that because the P10 million intended for the asphalting of roads were not approved for this year’s purposes and operations, the city will have a hard time asphalting and rehabilitating roads which were damaged due to the 7.1 magnitude quake on Tuesday morning.

“I do not know if they were thinking of the city, the crisis or maybe they were only thinking of themselves. Kay karon di na ta kabuhat og asphalting labi na karon nga guba ang dalan tungod sa calamity,” Rama said.

“Love man kaha nila ang Cebu, ganahan sila nga guba ang mga dalan? Kabalo sila naay aspaltohon tapos walay budget gi appropriate, asa man ang ilang utok,” Rama sarcastically continued adding that the action of the council will make people suffer because of the tyranny of numbers.

Councilor Margarita Osmeña earlier explained that the council and the committee on budget and finance which she heads decided not to include the asphalting of roads for the budget appropriation due to infrastructure ban projects in line with the barangay polls.

But, Rama argued that the council should have appropriated budget for the said item and it will only be utilized after the barangay election saying that the council’s premise was “stupid”.

“Di kabuhat og budget nga i-implement after. Unsa may problema ana? Labi na karon nga crisis ug ang dalan importante kaayo. Kun naay problema (source of fund) pangitaan unta og sulbad,” he added.

With this, Rama is seeing a possibility to submit another supplemental budget to incorporate all the items which have no appropriations yet.

“There is no stopping until the year ends. We have to bring back Cebu to its feet-economically, physically, ecologically, culturally, physically, intellectually and socially,” Rama said.

There were at least 18 items in the SB-2 that were not given funds which include the allowances of City fiscals, judges, prosecutors, city policemen and firemen and others.

What was approved by the council were the consultancy services of the office of the mayor amounting to P3,374,000 and P150,000 for city sponsored activities; special bodies and programs under the mayor’s office got P14,599,068 and appropriations for other departments and offices.— /GMR (FREEMAN)