Dads beg off from China travel

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama’s trip to Xiamen, China, will push through next month, but four city councilors begged off from joining, saying they had other commitments.

The mayor will go with three city consultants and some businessmen.

“It’s the mayor’s discretion to decide who to bring in his travel. The city can even pay for their travel,” said Councilor Jose Daluz III, one of four councilors earlier invited by the mayor to join the delegation.

Daluz during Wednesday’s council session withdrew his resolution seeking council authority for the mayor’s foreign travel, saying it was unnecessary after all.

“When I studied the Local Government Code, I learned that the office that is supposed to authorize travels is the office of the mayor,” said Daluz.

Xiamen Mayor Liu Kequing invited the mayor to attend the 15th China International Fair for Investment and Trade from Sept. 8 to 11, and offered to shoulder travel expenses of the mayor and three companions.

Rama said he would bring three consultants Jose Maria Eugenio Elizalde (property management and organizational review), Bo Varquez of the Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC) and protocol officer Paul Hubahib. He said several businessmen were going on their own.

The mayor also invited four councilors—Jose Daluz, Edgar Labella, Rodrigo Abellanosa and Sisinio Andales—but they said they were unavailable.

In last week’s session, Councilor Margot Osmeña and some legislators questioned who would decide the members of the China travel delegation and by what authority.

Daluz, in an interview yesterday, said the mayor was free to travel abroad and select his delegation without seeking council approval.

The council would only authorize the travel of other councilors as basis for their request for DILG authority and to charge the trip’s cost to the council’s travel account in the budget.

Daluz said he was going on a family trip to Camiguin province to celebrate his son’s birthday. Councilor Abellanosa is leaving for Europe next month while Andales said he has an important appointment.

Labella begged off from making another China trip so soon. He already left with Mayor Rama and some businessmen on Wednesday night for Wuhan and Quanzhou in China to attend business meetings from Aug. 17 to 24.  Chief of Reporters Doris Bongcac