Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was accused of doing what he himself once denounced—self-promotion paid by taxpayers’ money.
His face, name and words of greeting appear on cash envelopes of government financial aid to senior citizens.
“That’s illegal,” said his no. 1 critic, Rep. Tomas Osmeña.
“That’s why I’m filing a complaint. He will have to answer to the Ombudsman.”
Under a 2010 policy of President Benigno Aquino III, names and photos of public officials are prohibited from appearing in government billboards and signboards.
Osmeña, the former mayor, showed a sample envelope, and said he would file his complaint with the anti-graft office this week. Distribution of P2,000 cash aid is going on in different barangays of Cebu City.
A photo was taken of an elderly woman in barangay Talamban receiving her stipend in an envelope with Mayor Rama’s photo, name and message stamped on it.
Senior citizens in Cebu City are entitled to receive a total of P4,000 cash a year for Christmas and their birthday. The financial aid, handed out in cash, was a project initiated by Osmeña during his term as mayor.
Sought for a reaction, Mayor Rama told Cebu Daily News he was being “prudent” in labeling the envelopes to show the origin of the cash bills.
“Lain kaayo nga manghatag ta ug kwarta sa mga senior citizen unya isulod lang nato ug envelope. Mas maayo gyud nga butangan nato ug diin gikan ang kwarta,” he said.
(It’s improper to just hand over cash in an envelope to senior citizens. It’s better to state where the money came from.)
“I just want them to know that this money comes from the City of Cebu. Now, if that is his (Osmeña’s) big problem, that is not a big problem for me,” said Rama.
“Alangan man sad ug ilang pangalan ang atong ibutang nga kita na man ang mayor karon sa syudad.”
(You can’t put their names there when I’m the mayor of the city.)
Rama said that if Osmeña says the seal of Cebu City should appear on the envelope instead of his face, he has no problem with that.
A sample envelope shows an official photo of Rama with the seal of Cebu City, and a printed message: “Kining maong gasa kinasingkasing nga gipadangat kanimo timaan sa among pag-ila sa imong mga natampo alang sa kahapsay ug kabulahanan sa atong Dakbayan sa Sugbo. Mahigugmaun, Michael L. Rama – Mayor.”
(Dear Sir/Madam, this gift is heartily given to you as a token recognizing your contribution to order and prosperity of our City of Cebu. Lovingly yours, Michael Rama)
Congressman Osmeña said the practice violates Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular 2010-101.
The subject of the circular is this: “Banning names or initials and/or images or pictures of government officials in billboards and signages of government programs and properties.”
“I have removed my name and my face (from my projects) but in the distribution of the financial assistance, why is his name there?” Osmeña told CDN.
“Anyway, he can’t fool the people. He’s just desperate. The Cebuanos are bright.”
The congressman said Rama was taking credit for a project that wasn’t his.
“I’m glad that he is no longer with us. He has no accomplishments that is why nisakay nalang siya.”
In recent weeks, faces of Rep. Rachel “Cutie” del Mar and her father, Raul, the former congressman, were removed from the sides of government buses in the city’s 46 north district barangays.
Plaster cutouts were used to cover the images on the bus stickers.
The name “Del Mar” has also disappeared from flyovers and skywalks, which used to be labeled in recognition of the congressman who sourced national funding for them.
“I just wanted to make sure that I do my part to follow the president’s directive,” said Cutie del Mar.
DILG – 7 Regional Director Pedro Noval said his office had no jurisdiction over the complaint and that the case will depend on the interpretation of the President’s policy.
“The Office of the President issued that (policy) during a cabinet meeting. It was issued to all members of the cabinet—the secretaries. Each secretary will implement that directive in their own agency,” Noval said.
Noval said he expects the Ombudsman to first request an official opinion from appropriate agencies, in this case, the Office of the President or the Department of Justice.
“We are not taking sides in this one. It is the right of Osmeña to file a case,” he said.