It was Mayor Michael Rama who picked a fight with the City Council and not the other way around, a combative Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said yesterday.
The vice mayor was in a fighting mood following reports about the non-renewal of 15 contractual employees of the Department of Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) and the mayor’s call on the council to stop their political bickerings with him (see related story on Page 1).
In yesterday’s press conference, Young likewise chided the mayor for claiming credit for some projects done by his predecessor Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district in last Friday’s State of the City Address (Soca).
“This is my Soca to his Soca and the title of this is: He started it,” Young said.
The vice mayor said it was Rama who started the feud with the Capitol when he made the “dawat limpyo (no strings)” remark during the 93-1 lot negotiations for the city’s urban poor.
Rama made the remark in a speech he delivered during his tenure as vice mayor in reference to Cebu City’s offer for a portion of the North Reclamation Area (NRA) in exchange for Capitol owned lots in the city under Provincial Ordinance 93-1.
His remark angered Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and sparked the ongoing feud between her and then mayor Osmeña.
Now, Young said, it was Rama who picked a fight with the City Council.
The vice mayor said the fight centered on the Mahiga Creek settlers and his refusal to provide relocation and assistance to them.
Young said the council was behind Rama in clearing the creek.
“But if he defines as bickering the council’s request for him to please open his heart and give a relocation site or at least a small cash aide to the Mahiga creek settlers who were demolished and displaced, then we are guilty as charged,” Young said.
When Rama left the administration Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) without giving his former allies in the council any idea about his plans, Young said it only showed the kind of leader he was.
“How can you have a mayor who is the captain of the ship leave the ship complete with his officers in the middle of the sea? In the middle of the night? That speaks volumes of his leadership,” Young said.
The vice mayor said the people have the right to know who should be credited for the projects Rama mentioned in his address.
“(But) I will not take that away from him if he feels that if the project was finished during his term, it’s his accomplishment already then so be it. I was not mayor at that time so I will leave that issue to Osmeña,” Young told reporters.
The vice mayor said Rama could be credited for the waste segregation program and his clearing of the Mahiga Creek of illegal settlers.
In his address, Rama mentioned an increase in cemented and asphalted roads and streetlights.
The mayor also highlighted the improved drainage, waste segregation program and lower crime rate as achievements in his first year in office.
Rama cited the improved relations between the Cebu City government and the Capitol and called on the council to support his administration in building ties and working in projects with the province.
During his address, Rama cited the names of Young and several councilors who helped his administration.
The mayor credited Councilor Nida Cabrera for helping implement the waste segregation program.
He didn’t mention Councilor Alvin Dizon who criticized his handling of the Mahiga Creek settlers. Reporter Marian Z. Codilla