NEWS BRIEFS

BUDGET RETURNS TO RAMA

The Cebu City Council again returned the supplemental budget request of the mayor for the amount of P233 million, saying it lacked documents.

The setback affects a budget that was mostly eyed for the increased subsidy for senior citizens.

“What was submitted to us was only the cover letter and there was no resubmitted copy of the proposed budget,” said Councilor Margot Osmena during the Sept. 16 council session.

She asked the mayor’s office to resubmit Supplemental Budget No. 2, this time signed by the city treasurer Emma Villarete.

Whe the mayor first prseented SB 2 in July, the council returned it for lack of a certification on the availability of funds.

The budget was resubmitted last week with the cerftification signed by city accountant Diwa Cuevas .

Under the proposed SB 2, P108.7 million will be spent on the P1,000 increase in senior citizen assistance which Rama proposed during his state of the city address.

The increase will bring the subsidy for elderly residents to P6,000 each this year. /Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac

PWD LIBRARY CORNER

Persons with Disability (PWD) may have a special place at the Rizal Memorial Library and Museum in Cebu City by next year.

The City Council on Wednesday requested the public library to provide a corner for PWDs and special education students.

Councilor Alvin Dizon, who sponsored the resolution, said one additional staff member should be assigned there.

The council endorsed this project as budget priority for next year since it involves installing PWD equipment and materials.

If all goes well, the PWD library corner will be set up in 2013.

The library management was also asked to explore linkages with the National Council for Disability Affairs and related institutions. /Correspondent Tweeny Malinao

40 YEARS OF MARTIAL LAW

A militant group said human rights violations still continue as the country marked the 40th year of declaration of Martial Law yesterday.

“There are 180 cases of extra-judicial killings committed by state security forces in the less than three years that President Noynoy Aquino assumed office,” said Dennis Abarientos of Karapatan.

He said political activists continue to be harassed, including 16 activists in Central Visayas.

Abarientos also said that the Aquino administration also didn’t move to expedite the compensation of the thousands of victims of the Marcos dictatorship as ordered by the US court. He was referring to the class suit filed by Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda) against the Marcos Estate in Hawaii, USA, which the group won.

“We are not here to commemorate the imposition of martial law. We are still here because the governments that succeeded the dictatorship failed to bring justice, end human rights violations and impunity,” Abarientos said. /Correspondent Edison Delos Angeles