Rama: Let council settle issues on vetoed solo parent ordinance

CEBU, Philippines - Amid Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo’s insistence that his Solo Parent Ordinance is now good as approved, Mayor Michael Rama believes that the matter should be settled by the City Council.

Rama, who vetoed the ordinance, said that Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella is in a better position to answer the issues raised by Carillo.

“Naa’y mga matters better left to be threshed out in a proper body and if whoever will insist, why insist if there are reasons and if there are still time to thresh it out,” said Rama.

The ordinance was referred to the committee on laws after Rama’s veto.

Carillo insisted that the mayor’s veto was too late because the ordinance is already good as approved citing section 54 of the Local Government Code which states that, “the veto shall be communicated by the local chief executive to the Council within 10 days in the case of a city or municipality.”

Carillo said it took 26 days, after the transmittal of the ordinance to the Office of the Mayor, before he acted on it.

However, it was Labella who was acting mayor when the copy of the ordinance was transmitted to the executive department on May 14.

“And he (Labella) did also a very reasonable and very valid position,” Rama said, adding that Labella is also a good lawyer.

Labella returned the ordinance to the City Council in deference to Rama. Labella explained that he could not act on the ordinance since he was the presiding officer of the City Council when it was passed.

Rama vetoed the ordinance legal points such as violation of the equal protection clause as guaranteed in the Constitution.

Rama said the ordinance is discriminatory in nature and impractical.

The ordinance seeks to provide cash assistance to solo parents, particularly resident voters of Cebu City who have voted in three consecutive local and national elections and those who belong to the poverty threshold.  (FREEMAN)