The Cebu City Council yesterday passed a resolution authorizing Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young to intervene in the petition for declaratory relief against Finance secretary Cesar Purisima.
The City Council is asserting that Mayor Michael Rama has no authority to question before the court the order of Purisima to replace city treasurer Ofelia Oliva with Emma Villarete.
Mayor Rama described the council鈥檚 action as an act of lawyering for Purisima instead of defending the city鈥檚 interests.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what kind of a motion they are looking into.聽 It is not the office of the city council that is aggrieved but the office of the mayor, unless they want to defend Purisima,鈥� he said.
Rama through the city legal office filed a petition for injunction to prevent Purisima from replacing聽 Oliva.
The court issued a聽 20-day TRO last week聽聽 allowing Oliva to stay as city treasurer while the court hears the City Hall鈥檚 petition for injunction.
Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said in an earlier interview that the council doesn鈥檛 recognize Oliva.
Instead they recognize assistant city treasurer Emma Villarete whom Purisima earlier named as Oliva鈥檚 replacement.
But Oliva was allowed to address the council in yesterday morning鈥檚 public hearing on an ordinance proposed by Councilor Alvin Dizon for the creation of a city socialized housing trust fund.
Shortly after Oliva appeared, Councilor Sisinio Andales moved for the passage of his ordinance authorizing Young to file a motion to聽 intervene in injunction case against Purisima.
Although lacking in numbers Councilors Jose Daluz III, Edgar Labella and Edu Rama Jr. opposed the passage of the resolution聽 abstaining.