Rama to council: Local finance execs busy

ANOTHER disagreement is brewing between members of the executive and legislative departments over City Hall finances.

Councilor Noel Wenceslao of BOPK on Wednesday called for the appearance of members of the Local Finance Committee (LFC) in an executive session scheduled on August 14 to brief the council of the city’s financial standing.

Mayor Michael Rama however said the LFC members – City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete, Acting City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo and City Accountant and Budget Officer Nelfa Briones – are still busy with a lot of concerns that they have to attend to first.

“I am not ready yet to be ascending to them (city council) because there are still many things to do for the LFC. My priority is (for them) not to be appearing before the council. My priority is reorganizing the executive department,” he said.

Rama said he is still in the processing of completing the movement of City Hall department heads and to establish the foundation of his administration as he starts the first year of his second term in office.

Meanwhile, the mayor said yesterday that he already wanted the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) to name a new city treasurer. The appointment of OIC treasurer Emma Villarete already lapsed on July 17.

Cebu City’s designated city treasurer is Eustaquio Cesa, but he has been begging off from performing the function of his assigned office. Cesa has opted to instead function as the city assessor.

Rama already wrote BLGF last week to endorse three names – former city treasurer Ofelia Oliva, Mandaue City treasurer Regal Oliva and Cebu City Accountant Diwa Cuevas as his choices for a new city treasurer.

Rama said he wanted his new treasurer the soonest possible time so they could already start to plan his supplemental budget and draft the 2014 executive budget as the October deadline is fast approaching.

He added that the LFC’s appearance before the council is also unnecessary especially with his pending plans to meet with all councilors so he could also brief them of his plans.

“But if they continue to act like that, I might rethink meeting with them,” he said./Correspondent Doris C. Bongcac