Rama dares Tom: Prove you left city with P1-B surplus

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday challenged Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City south district) to show proof that Osmeña left the city P1 billion in surplus funds when his term as mayor ended in June 2010.

Rama also dared Osmeña to report to the Cebuanos his accomplishments as congressman instead of criticizing him.

“Don’t judge me now. Judge me when my first three years as mayor is over,” said Rama, whom the congressman earlier criticized for mishandling a P1-billion surplus.

Rama said that has mayor he has been performing his duties and delivering services that the Cebuanos need.

The mayor has proposed the passage of a P1.147-million supplemental budget no. 2, of which P647 million will be funding from borrowings.

Acting City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo told the council on Wednesday the city does not have enough funds to support SB no. 2.

Camarillo said the city’s P2-billion cash in the bank was already “committed” to the general fund.

Rama said that if the city runs out of surplus funds, that could only mean that government funds were spent on the delivery of services.

“If there’s a surplus, then it means the government wasn’t spending. That’s why our needs were not answered. Under my administration, we spent, and that’s why your needs were answered,” Rama said in Cebuano.

Rama said that while Osmeña claims there was a surplus left to the new administration, there is no document to prove this.

He said former city treasurer Ofelia Oliva would be in the best position to answer the matter.

“We have been talking about a P1 billion (surplus). But does the money really exist?” he asked.

Rama said it was only Osmeña who claimed to have left the city over P1 billion in surplus when he left City Hall in June 2010.

He said insinuations that the city government no longer had surplus funds was like accusing his administration of corruption and mismanagement.

Rama said he could not speak for the former treasurer.

But he said that if there are grounds to charge Oliva for any wrongdoing, he would request the Office of the Ombudsman for Investigation.

“They had the person (Oliva) removed from office and now they are hitting her. That is an act of cowardice,” said Rama in Cebuano.

He referred to Osmeña’s lobbying to reassign Oliva out of Cebu City.

Rama said he is pushing for passage of SB no. 2 because of “urgent” items in it, such as drainage projects. “I am only standing on what I believe is needed in the executive department,” he said.