Treasurer gets six month extension
Acting Cebu City Treasurer Emma Villarete was given a six-month extension by Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, a decision Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was glad to accept.
“They have to be clear about their policies. It’s not about Emma but territorial operations. The mayor’s prerogative to chose his city treasurer,” the mayor said.
Rama, who wanted to retain former Cebu City treasurer Ofelia Oliva, said he remains hopeful that she would be reinstated before the elections.
But the Department of Finance (DOF) designated Asst. City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo as Oliva’s replacement. Villarete was later named to the post but her assignment lapsed last Jan. 17.
The DOF through the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) designated Camarillo to occupy the CTO until a new city treasurer is named.
Camarillo earned Rama’s ire after she acknowledged during a Cebu City Council budget hearing that the city government would be unable to meet his projected P11 billion budget target for 2012.
Rama questioned Camarillo’s appointment after he authorized an extension of Villarete’s stay.
He said he received a copy of Purisima’s order last week.
Rama called Villarete to a meeting at the mayor’s office yesterday morning to personnel inform her of his stand on the appointment of a city treasurer in-charge.
“I am happy that the finance department came out with an intervention… I did my own intervention (ahead of them) because I have the responsibility to continue the operations (at CTO),” the mayor said. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac
New Capitol info office to open Feb. 14
THE Capitol’s new information office will be launched on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day with a new format, an integrated division and fewer number of employees.
“Complete transformation of the format, from programing to manpower. We only have 35 out of 67 personnel. Also Sugbu TV and Sugbu News are integrated into one,” Provincial Board (PB) Member Arleigh Sitoy said.
He said the PB also slashed the PIO budget from P20 million to P13 million.
“We also like to ask local media for suggestions on how to create programs that won’t feature one politician or political party in Cebu,” Sitoy said.
Sitoy also clarified that his daughter Nataligh Sitoy is the chief of staff of his office who helped reform the PIO.
“She helped in the inventory of the equipment but she’s not employed in the PIO,” he said. Correspondent Renan R. Alangilan