Seniors happy, but mayor hit for grabbing credit

At least 25,840 senior citizens or 93 percent of Cebu City’s 34 south district barangays received the P3,000 cash aid promised to them by the city government in the last day of distribution yesterday.

The City Treasurer’s Office said 21,813 in the 46 barangays of Cebu City’s north district were given their share.

This left 1,366 seniors who were unable to collect their cash aid as of 2 p.m. yesterday.

Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district dismissed Mayor Michael Rama’s promise of an increased subsidy for seniors at P10,000 a year starting 2013, a promise announced in Monday’s State of the City Address.

“I started the program and he’s taking credit for it,” said Osmeña, who initiated the subsidy during his term as city mayor.

Unclaimed cash will be returned to the treasury and a new payroll will be issued.

Lorenzo Gabuya, 69, of Basak-Pardo,  praised the mayor for his action.

“He still accomplished a lot, how much more if the council supported him?” he said in Cebuano.

Lourdes Perez, the 73-year-old president of barangay San Antonio Senior Citizens’ Organization said she was “personally happy” about the mayor’s speech and his pledge to increase the aid to seniors.

Perez said she was satisfied with the mayor’s administration.

“We had been receiving our financial assistance,” she said.

Ovencia Villamor, a 77-year-old resident of barangay Talamban, said she hopes the mayor fulfills his promises to them.

Rama pledged to increase aid to the elderly to P10,000 a year if he is re-elected in 2013.

But his arch critic, Osmeña, said the cash aid for the seniors and the scholarship programs were sourced from sales of South Road Properties (SRP) lots, the centerpiece project of Osmeña during his term.

“Rama is taking credit and reaping the benefits of the work done in my administration,” he said.

In a press conference at his Guadalupe home, the congressman said he didn’t bother listening to the rest of Rama’s address last Monday because it was all criticisms against him and his allies and a rehash of his previous address.

Some of the mayor’s allies like former congressman Antonio Cuenco said the address, while beautifully crafted, was too long.

Even Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia was unsmiling as she texted while the mayor delivered his address.

“I hope all his promises become reality. It will become a reality with the support of the council. I’m asking the council to set aside politics,” he said.

Rama denied reports that the audience in his SOCA was a “hakot” crowd.

Rama also denied issuing a memo mandating all City Hall department heads and employes and barangay officials to attend his SOCA.

“Those (allegations) are only coming from a sick mind,” he said.

But attendance sheets were passed around after the 2 p.m. Mass and before the mayor’s address that started at 4 p.m. The attendance sheets bore the logo of the mayor’s office.

Balloons and placards were also distributed to sectoral representatives who attended last Monday’s address, bearing messages like “Mayor Mike is number 1”, “Honesty is the best policy of mayor Mike” and “Rama the people’s mayor.” With Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac and Correspondent Edison delos Angeles