Rama recalls cash envelope; Graft case filed at Ombud

His attention was called on violating his own policy against putting the faces and names of officials on government projects so Mayor Michael Rama yesterday recalled  all envelopes printed with his  personal features and name.

Rama said the envelopes, which are being used to distribute P2,000 cash aid for senior citizens from the city government, will be replaced.

“We will just replace it with an envelope that has the Cebu City  seal and it shall have the words ‘Mayor’s Office and the City Council-Together we can make things happen’ since they have a problem with my face photo in the envelope,” Rama told reporters.

“After all, I did not ask that my photo be printed there.”

Yesterday, a graft complaint was filed against him in the Visayas Ombudsman’s Office by  Rep. Tomas Osmeña over the envelopes, which Osmeña earlier exposed.

Osmeña said the mayor was fully aware of the practice because the envelopes were produced by the General Services Office and were distributed by the Dept. of Social Work and Services of the city government.

“As a result of said distribution, Mayor Rama directly (or indirectly ) received a benefit for himself,” he said.

He said Rama also violated the  policy of President Aquino in a 2010 memorandum circular of the Department of Interior and Local Government “banning names or initials and/or images or pictures of government officials” in billboards and signages of government projects.

“To my mind, this is nothing short of the Mayor taking advantage of his position to further his own ambitions and personal interests.”

He attached a Sept. 12 letter to DILG Secretary Jessie Robredo  from “Concerned Cebu City Hall Employees” reporting the same violation, including photos of the distribution of P2,000 allowances to senior citizens  and sample envelopes.

The letter said, “While Mayor Rama has gone after the names and pictures of his political opponents in the city, he has continued to disobey the memo in his own projects.”

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, in a separate interview, said the mayor should drop the use of envelopes altogether.

“In fact, he doesn’t need to replace the envelope. Let him get rid of the idea of using the envelopes since it’s only a waste of time, money and the printing of the envelope will only mean additional manpower,” Young said.

Young said the previous distribution of cash assistance to seniors didn’t use envelopes.

“There are senior citizens who said they crumpled the envelopes because they don’t want to see Rama’s face,” the vice mayor said.

Young said it was a “group of concerned Cebu City Hall employees” who brought the matter up.

The DILG circular noted that the practice of posting the names and images of public officials on government projects is being  “abused and misused by some public officials for their personal interests and has taken the credit away from the taxpayers who are the ones paying for such program or projects.”

A March 1, 2001, memo issued by Cebu City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete  required  all city officials and department heads to comply with the DILG circular  and President Aquino’s directive banning names and images of government officials on public projects and programs.

In his complaint, Osmeña said the cash envelopes constituted a violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

He said Rama violated Section 3,  which prohibits officials from  “persuading, inducing or influencing another public officer from performing an act that constitutes a violation of rules and regulations duly promulgated by competent authority.”

Rama said he will answer the complaint at the proper time.

He denied ordering the GSO  to print his photo on the envelopes.

“I don’t need to tell you who chose to put it there. They’re filing a case so let’s wait. We’ll just answer that,” he told reporters. /Edison A. Delos Angeles and Ador Vincent Mayol