His attention was called on violating his own policy against putting the faces and names of officials on government projects so Mayor Michael Rama yesterday recalled聽 all envelopes printed with his聽 personal features and name.
Rama said the envelopes, which are being used to distribute P2,000 cash aid for senior citizens from the city government, will be replaced.
鈥淲e will just replace it with an envelope that has the Cebu City聽 seal and it shall have the words 鈥楳ayor鈥檚 Office and the City Council-Together we can make things happen鈥� since they have a problem with my face photo in the envelope,鈥� Rama told reporters.
鈥淎fter all, I did not ask that my photo be printed there.鈥�
Yesterday, a graft complaint was filed against him in the Visayas Ombudsman鈥檚 Office by聽 Rep. Tomas Osme帽a over the envelopes, which Osme帽a earlier exposed.
Osme帽a said the mayor was fully aware of the practice because the envelopes were produced by the General Services Office and were distributed by the Dept. of Social Work and Services of the city government.
鈥淎s a result of said distribution, Mayor Rama directly (or indirectly ) received a benefit for himself,鈥� he said.
He said Rama also violated the聽 policy of President Aquino in a 2010 memorandum circular of the Department of Interior and Local Government 鈥渂anning names or initials and/or images or pictures of government officials鈥� in billboards and signages of government projects.
鈥淭o my mind, this is nothing short of the Mayor taking advantage of his position to further his own ambitions and personal interests.鈥�
He attached a Sept. 12 letter to DILG Secretary Jessie Robredo聽 from 鈥淐oncerned Cebu City Hall Employees鈥� reporting the same violation, including photos of the distribution of P2,000 allowances to senior citizens聽 and sample envelopes.
The letter said, 鈥淲hile Mayor Rama has gone after the names and pictures of his political opponents in the city, he has continued to disobey the memo in his own projects.鈥�
Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, in a separate interview, said the mayor should drop the use of envelopes altogether.
鈥淚n fact, he doesn鈥檛 need to replace the envelope. Let him get rid of the idea of using the envelopes since it鈥檚 only a waste of time, money and the printing of the envelope will only mean additional manpower,鈥� Young said.
Young said the previous distribution of cash assistance to seniors didn鈥檛 use envelopes.
鈥淭here are senior citizens who said they crumpled the envelopes because they don鈥檛 want to see Rama鈥檚 face,鈥� the vice mayor said.
Young said it was a 鈥済roup of concerned Cebu City Hall employees鈥� who brought the matter up.
The DILG circular noted that the practice of posting the names and images of public officials on government projects is being聽 鈥渁bused and misused by some public officials for their personal interests and has taken the credit away from the taxpayers who are the ones paying for such program or projects.鈥�
A March 1, 2001, memo issued by Cebu City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete聽 required聽 all city officials and department heads to comply with the DILG circular聽 and President Aquino鈥檚 directive banning names and images of government officials on public projects and programs.
In his complaint, Osme帽a said the cash envelopes constituted a violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
He said Rama violated Section 3,聽 which prohibits officials from聽 鈥減ersuading, inducing or influencing another public officer from performing an act that constitutes a violation of rules and regulations duly promulgated by competent authority.鈥�
Rama said he will answer the complaint at the proper time.
He denied ordering the GSO聽 to print his photo on the envelopes.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need to tell you who chose to put it there. They鈥檙e filing a case so let鈥檚 wait. We鈥檒l just answer that,鈥� he told reporters. /Edison A. Delos Angeles and Ador Vincent Mayol