Council overrides Rama veto on workers’ allowances

HE’S mayor for a second term, but the majority of the Cebu City Council is still not on his side.
The City Council yesterday rejected Mayor Michael Rama’s decision to veto an ordinance to distribute allowances of barangay workers on a monthly basis.
On a vote of 13 to three, the city council, which is dominated by the mayor’s critics in the Bando Osmena- Pundok Kauswagan, mustered more than the required two-thirds votes to override the mayor’s veto.
It was the council’s first adverse action on a decision of the mayor since  legislators resumed their weekly session following the May 13 election where Rama was reelected to a second term.
The decision affects allowances of day care teachers, barangay tanods, garbage collectors, street sweepers, barangay officials, lupong tagapamayapa (barangay court members)  of the city’s 80 barangays.
The regular release date of their allowances is  quarterly or twice a year in June and December.
Changing it to a more frequent monthly schedule would depend on the availability of funds and would “prejudice public welfare” said Rama in his veto last May 10.
The monthly schedule was proposed by City Councilor Alvin Arcilla last April 10.
City Councilor Jose Daluz III, a Rama ally, said he forsees problems in implementing the monthly release which would require preparing a P50,000 to P52,000 budget every month.
This could be done using automated teller machine (ATM) cash cards but City Hall needs time to prepare that, he said.
“If they want that, we should be given enough time to prepare,” said Daluz.
The ordinance will take effect 15 days after the full text is published in a newspaper.
Daluz said the mayor’s side should be considered first before the ordinance is implemented.
“…With the override, we will follow that ordinance, but we will wait for the mayor. It’s up to the mayor to decide what to do ” Daluz said.
Mayor Rama left last Sunday for a 22-day vacation to rest after the campaign and election.
Only three Rama allies were elected to the new 16-member city council which will assume office after June 30.
Daluz said that if the mayor will not accept the council action, he would have to bring the case to court  to stop the implementation of the monthly pay scheme for barangay workers’ allowances.
Councilor Jun Pe of BO-PK presided in yesterday’s council session since Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young is acting mayor until Rama returns from abroad. CNU Intern Nice Ann Teleron