In making a last-ditch effort to keep Ofelia Oliva as Cebu City treasurer, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he will elevate his petition to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
“It is not just an ordinary issue but a matter of governance. If this is not clarified at the level of the Department of Finance, I will have this clarified with the President,” he told reporters.
Rama said he intends to speak with the President after Aquino delivers his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Friday.
“I’m not thinking about the budget…. I want to be clear. Shall we govern the city or shall we let a congressman govern the city?” he said.
Rama referred to former mayor and now Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district, who wrote Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima asking him to transfer Oliva out of Cebu City and not renew her extension.
The finance secretary denied Mayor’s Rama’s request for Oliva’s fourth extension in the city.
Oliva’s stint in Cebu City ended on July 15. Acting City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo, Oliva’s assistant treasurer, took over last Monday after she received an order from the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) designating her as acting treasurer.
Camarillo said she’s uncertain where Oliva would go next since she hasn’t seen a copy of her detail order.
There were speculations that Oliva would be transferred to Mandaue City.
Camarillo said she would have to sit down with Rama first to determine what programs that Oliva left, including the dancing tax collectors, would the mayor want her to pursue.
Camarillo was originally assigned with the BLGF and then moved to Cebu City Hall in 1998.
Last Monday, Osmeña questioned some of Oliva’s policies such as depositing P1 billion of the city’s funds to the Philippine Veterans Bank, a small institution.
He also questioned the release of the P5 million cash advance for Christmas lights and Oliva’s request for a P20 million travelling allowance for her office.
Osmeña said allowing Oliva to spend City Hall funds is “poor fiscal management” on Rama’s part.
“She may be aggressive in tax collection but you have to control it. She (Oliva) is like a sharp knife. Sshe can do good and she can do bad things,” said Osmeña.
Rama said Purisima’s preference for Tomas request to deny Oliva’s extension was a disregard to local autonomy.
“This (requesting for the city treasurer’s extension) is something that is a call of the mayor or the governor,” he said.
Rama said Osmeña should focus on his work as congressman and make sure that projects are implemented in his district.
He said Osmeña should call for an investigation on Oliva’s alleged wrongdoing before he opposed the request for her extension.
“He should have been brave enough to do that. What he did was interference. That was never done before by congressmen Raul del Mar and Antonio Cuenco,” he said.
Rama said Osmeña’s interference only supported his decision to already bolt the administration Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).
Rama said he wanted to make Purisima’s decision favoring Osmeña an issue in local governance.
“What is the use of being mayor or governor if someone else is being listened to? I am not going to take this sitting down. I’m talking about principle,” he said. /Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac