In centralizing all commissions and committees under his office, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama wants to build his own political machinery for his reelection bid in 2013.
Rep. Tomas Osme帽a of Cebu City鈥檚 south district聽 made the claim as he accused the mayor of 鈥渓aying siege鈥� on the commissions and committees that used to be chaired by councilors.
During yesterday鈥檚 off-site City Council session in the hinterland barangay of Guba, Osme帽a cited as an example the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA).
He said the office was聽 taken from Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa and placed directly under the mayor鈥檚 office.
Councilor Nida Cabrera told Cebu Daily 黑料社 that she was also told that Rama wanted the Cebu City Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team (CESET) placed directly under his office.
The CESET falls under Cabrera, the council鈥檚 environment committee chairperson.
鈥淚 am only waiting for them to actually take supervision of the CESET from me,鈥� Cabrera told CDN.
Rep. Osme帽a said 鈥渃entralization鈥� of City Hall operations is contrary to the administration Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) policy of giving executive functions to councilors.
鈥淓verything is now being centralized because Rama does not trust anybody.聽 He is only bitter and embarrassed because he thought that the councilors will go along with him when he left BO-PK,鈥� he said.
Since the councilors opted to stay with BO-PK, Osme帽a said Rama 鈥渋s now trying to build up his own (group) and he says that this is not about politics.鈥�
City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete defended Rama, saying the mayor hasn鈥檛 made any pronouncement to this effect.
During yesterday鈥檚 session, the council tabled two resolutions filed by the mayor鈥檚 office.
One resolution asked for the hiring of 40 job order workers to conduct re-validation of socialized housing records for the Department of the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP).
The second resolution authorized Rama to enter into contract with Metro Waste-Gela Construction JV for a waste water treatment facility at the Inayawan Sanitary landfill estimated to cost P10.58 million.
The council instead approved 45 resolutions, among them the P1.2 million appropriation for the city鈥檚 Sinulog preparation and resolutions for the release of financial assistance to some barangays.
Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young clarified that the council鈥檚 inaction on the two resolutions was not in retaliation to Rama鈥檚 move to centralize the commissions and committees under his office.
鈥淚t鈥檚 okay if the mayor will think of it as retaliation.聽 The council only reacted.聽 When we do something, it should be objective,鈥� the vice mayor said.
Cabrera said the council wanted to reduce the appropriation for a waste water treatment facility due to the impending closure of the Inayawan landfill site.
Councilor Eduardo Rama Jr., the mayor鈥檚 nephew, questioned the council鈥檚 decision to table the two resolutions.
Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa, the proponent of the resolution, said he wanted to know if the city won鈥檛 exceed its personnel service ceiling with the hiring of 40 job order workers.
Councilor Margot Osme帽a said re-validation of DWUP records can be done by existing barangay registration personnel.
Young said the council did doubts the reason behind the hiring of 40 job order workers after they secured an accomplishment report of Rama鈥檚 speech writer and consultant Leonardo Chiu.
Chiu, the mayor鈥檚 consultant and speech writer, mistakenly submitted to the council a journal of his activities.
鈥淭he report of Nards Chiu has created doubt鈥� that the workers may be used for Rama鈥檚 re-election.聽 We don鈥檛 trust them anymore,鈥� said Young.
Rep. Osme帽a said Chiu鈥檚 report was proof that Rama was trying to use DWUP to build his own 鈥減olitical machinery.鈥�
His wife, Councilor Osme帽a earlier questioned the mayor鈥檚 decision to transfer the 2012 appropriation for the Cebu City Commission for the Welfare and Protection of Children (CCWPC) under the mayor鈥檚 special project and program account.
She said the commission which she heads no longer has a budget.
A P5.2 million appropriation for CCWPC is being proposed next year.
The councilor said a transfer of appropriation would only lead to 鈥渂ureaucracy鈥�.
鈥淚f you look at it closely, you will see a pattern.聽 It鈥檚 a siege mentality鈥� You are asking for deterioration because you are asking to centralize everything,鈥� said Rep. Osme帽a.