3 Cebu City dads return calamity funds

THE SAMBOAN church is one of the structures in Cebu province that suffered minor damage following the October quake last year. LITO TECSON/CEBU DAILY NEWS

CEBU CITY—Three councilors have returned the P20,000 calamity assistance each of them received from the city government in the wake of public criticisms and a Commission on Audit (COA) report questioning the allocation.

“The public opinion was painful. I cannot take it anymore that even my friends look at me like I am greedy,” said Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias in Cebuano.

Cabarrubias and Councilor Eugenio Gabuya gave back the money on July 11. The day before, another councilor, Alvin Dizon, returned the P20,000 to acting city treasurer Diwa Cuevas and was issued a receipt.

The three were among city officials facing investigation for giving themselves and over 4,000 employees the calamity aid totaling P84.5 million after an earthquake and Supertyphoon “Yolanda” struck Cebu province and other parts of the Visayas last year.

Deputy Executive Secretary Michael Aquino has directed the officials to respond to a complaint of grave misconduct and abuse of authority filed by lawyer Remelio Delute.

The officials included Mayor Michael Rama, Vice Mayor Edgar Labella and Councilors Nestor Archival Sr., Mary Ann delos Santos, David Tumulak, Hanz Abella, Sisinio Andales, Alvin Arcilla, Ma. Nida Cabrera, Gerardo Carillo and Noel Wenceslao.

Four other councilors were not included in the complaint because they did not vote for Supplemental Budget No. 3, which allocated, among other items, P61.1 million in calamity assistance to city officials and employees.

Councilors Margot Osmeña and Leah Japson abstained from voting during a session on Dec. 19, 2013, while Richie Osmeña and James Cuenco were absent.

The COA questioned the appropriation in its 2013 audit report, saying that not all residents of Cebu suffered losses from damage during the 7.2-magnitude  earthquake in October last year and Yolanda the following month.

Although the supplemental budget appropriated only P61.1 million for calamity assistance, the COA said the total amount released reached P84.5 million.

The agency found it irregular that the assistance was recorded as “donations” and charged to the donations account under the Office of the City Administrator instead of the city’s calamity fund. The account was created supposedly to record donations released to other government offices, private individuals and institutions.

Labella defended the release of the calamity assistance, saying damaged houses were not the only indication of being affected by the calamity. Other signs included anxiety, physical pain, traumatic stress disorders and sleepless nights, he said.

He said he supported the disbursement “as a way of rekindling the Christmas spirit following the catastrophic events.

Dizon said he received the P20,000 “in good faith” and sent the money to help his family in Ormoc City, Leyte province, which  was badly hit by the typhoon. “Our house was damaged,” he said.

He said he was aware that his decision to return the amount would not absolve him of the accusation against him and 13 other city officials before the Office of the President. But he added that he would rather give it up than continue to be publicly criticized.

Cabarrubias said he used the calamity assistance to help his constituents from the second district who visited his office last December to seek financial help or Christmas gifts.

In an earlier interview, Rama said he used his P20,000 to pay water and electricity bills for his house at the Rama compound in Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City.