‘Free depot fuel only for Cebu city vehicles’

VEHICLES that are not owned by the Cebu City government will no longer be allowed to draw free gas from the City Hall fuel depot at the South Road Properties.

That includes fire trucks and police cars and some barangay vehicles.

The Cebu City Council turned down a proposal by Councilor Jose Daluz, an ally of the mayor, to allow these vehicles to avail of the city’s fuel subsidy.

Voting 13 against 2, the City Council upheld a provision of the 2013 budget ordinance that allows only City Hall-owned vehicles to draw fuel from its depot.

However, Mayor Michael Rama said the City Council can’t prohibit him from continuing the practice of allocating fuel for barangay vehicles and vehicles of government agencies that are helping the city.

Rama said the city needs to extend its fuel subsidy to the Bureau of Fire and Protection and the police because they perform vital public service for Cebu City.

Councilor Margot Osmeña, budget committee chairperson, said the city has to impose some limitations on fuel use with the city’s limited resources.

The 2013 budget appropriated close to P300 million for fuel expenses.

“Working on the same pie (budget), we can’t expand the pie if we don’t have the ingredients to do that. We have to work within the same pie,”said Osmeña./Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac