He told staff to send them invitations to his State of the City Address (Soca) but most Cebu City councilors won’t be around when Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama delivers his speech at the Plaza Sugbo tomorrow.
“I am not attending but I will let my staff attend the Soca,” Councilor Alvin Dizon told Cebu Daily News.
“The majority of the councilors will send staff members in their place,” Dizon said.
Dizon and other councilors last night attended a meeting in an undisclosed location with Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district.
Dizon said the councilors heard that Rama ordered the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor to gather members of urban poor groups to witness the Soca.
Dizon described the move “unethical.”
Rama said he will deliver the Soca “with or without you (the councilors)”.
“They are not important. It is the people who are important,” he said.
“If you (the media) won’t come then who will cover the Soca and how will it be relayed to the people who would want to hear the state of the city?”
Rama said he is requiring City Hall workers to attend the Soca since it will be delivered during working hours.
Meanwhile, the City Council’s committee on laws disagreed with the City Legal Office that Mayor Rama has the sole authority to sign the contracts of city consultants.
Councilor Edgardo Labella, in a report, said, “The vice mayor, being the head of the City Council of Cebu has also that power and authority to sign contracts and employees of the City Council.”