Comelec urged: Probe use of city gov’t vehicles

Did Cebu City Hall use city vehicles, personnel and resources in yesterday’s United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) rally at the Plaza Independencia?

Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district thinks so and he’s asking the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to investigate this.

Cebu City Hall personnel and vehicles were reportedly used in building a stage in the site last week.

“Rama is squandering the people’s funds. If Comelec is going to behave that way (wait for a formal complaint) that means that means they are biased,” the congressman said yesterday.

One of the workers at the plaza earlier claimed that City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete inspected the area last week.

Poblete refuted the claim, saying he was having lunch with his family at a nearby restaurant.

Osmeña said the Comelec should investigate the use of Cebu City Hall resources during the UNA rally without having to wait for any complainant because Rama reportedly admitted doing so.

He said he had personnel who monitored the UNA rally in order to see if city government vehicles and other resources during the rally.

Osmeña accused Rama of wasting city government fuel at the expense of barangay vehicles.

He said Rama ordered a cut in the fuel allocation for barangay garbage trucks from 200 litters to only 70 litters per month.

Osmeña said that as a constitutional agency, it is part of the Comelec’s mandate to look into concerns such as this.

“What do they need a complaint for? What is being violated is not me. What is being violated is the law,” he said.

Rama said no City Hall funds were spent for the rally since UNA spent their party funds for it.

Since he isn’t a full-pledged UNA member, Rama said he’s not privy to the transfer of funds for the rally. “Sa tinuoray, wala ko kadawat (ug kwarta). Structured man na. Naa may (To tell you the truth, I didn’t receive any money. It’s structured. There is an) UNA secretariat,” Rama said.

He said UNA’s so-called “Three Kings”—Vice President Jejomar Binay, former president Joseph Estrada and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile—have the funds and expertise to mobilize supporters for their political rallies nationwide.

“Wala pa gani mi naka start sa local (campaign) rattled na sila (We haven’t started the local campaign yet and they’re already rattled),” the mayor said.