Rama to press on with seniors aid in March

Amid opposition from a hostile City Council, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered the City Treasurer’s Office to process the allocation of the senior citizens assistance for next month.

“If the amount won’t be released for the senior citizens then it will be an indication of an incompetent government official,” Rama told City Hall employees, and sectoral group representatives at yesterday’s City Charter Day celebration.

Rama sought to allocate the senior citizens aid on a quarterly basis while the council recently filed a resolution asking the mayor to release the senior citizens assistance on a monthly basis to help pay for their maintenance medicines.

Among those who opposed Rama’s plan was Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young who warned the mayor against violating the city’s budget ordinance.

“Those who will support the release  of the aid next month will be jailed,” Young said.

But the vice mayor didn’t specify if the council would take legal actions against Rama.

Young said the budget ordinance specifies that the P10,000 senior citizens aid for the city’s 60 senior citizens will be given only on June and December.

Acting Cebu City Treasurer Emma Villarete said she would also prefer a midyear release of the senior citzens assistance since the city also has obligations to settle.

“The cash flow is difficult on the first quarter of the year,” she said.

Villarete said the city has P247 million payables which they need to settle in the first two months of the year.

Of that amount P217 million was paid last Feb. 20 for the city’s SRP loan while another P30 million was paid for the loan’s guarantee fee.

“But our office will strive (to meet Rama’s order),” Villarete said.

Rama said he will meet with Villarete and other department heads today to discuss his order to process the first quarter assistance for senior citizens worth P2,500 and determine the final amount for the Charter Day bonus.

Also, he wanted the possibility of also increase the financial assistance to the police and tanods looked into.

Rama also commended city accountant Diwa Cuevas for having closed the city’s books of accounts earlier this year.

He said led to the discovery of surplus funds of about P140.58 million from the 2012 budget.

But Cuevas told the council that while there were surplus funds, the city also has some unpaid obligations.

Rama will discuss with Villarete and the Local Finance Committee (LFC) today if the city has cash to release a P10, 000 Charter Day bonus. /Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters