P11.8-b budget BATTLE Rama prepares his people

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama reminded his department heads of the need to defend his proposed P11.8-billion budget for 2012.

Rama met his department heads yesterday morning and reiterated to them that the city has only one mayor.

“Wala pa ni abot nga ang council naa sa ibabaw sa executive.  We don’t want to be reigning superiority but we do not also want to be taken aback,” he said after the two-hour meeting.

Rama is also sending the same reminder to the members of the city council.

“They (Council) should be reminded of drawing what ought to be for the council and what ought to be for the executive,” he said.

Councilor Margot Osmeña said she has sent out invitations especially to City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo and Budget Officer Nelfa Briones to appear in a budget hearing scheduled on Thursday to enlighten the council if the P11.8-billion budget is feasible.

Last week, the council also called Camarillo and Briones to discuss how far the city has gone in meeting this year’s budget requirement of P4.5 billion.

Camarillo  said the city faces the risk of running short by at least P800 million of its P4.5 billion budgetary requirement because of its failure to meet collection targets.

“We will have to prepare for the budget hearing because it’s their budget.  It’s the department’s budget.  That is why they have to defend it, including, of course, members of the local finance committee,” Rama told reporters.

Still, he remains positive that his proposed budget will get the council’s nod.

He explained that the items in the proposed appropriation were in compliance with projects and programs contained in the Executive-Legislative Agenda (ELA), which the council committed to support.

“Let us just wait what’s going to happen in the budget deliberation.  I am a very optimistic person,” he said.

Rama denied talks that he is replacing Camarillo for telling the council that the city government will not be able to meet its collection target this year.

“I don’t want to be mentioning that.  I wish we will not be doing an act towards that direction,” he said when asked about Camarillo. /Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac