Enact a budget now

The Cebu City budget controversy may be resolved before the year ends, I hope. Now allow me to share with you my experience in budget making in the Senate where I worked as a technical assistant to then senator Alberto G. Romulo.

The budget of the Philippine government originates from the Office of the President who proposes it to Congress for review and approval. The president supposedly submits his budget to Congress on the fourth Monday of July for Congress to start reviewing and scrutinizing as early as August and approve by the end of December.

In the same way, the city mayor submits his budget to the council for approval. It is therefore the mayor’s prerogative whom he wants to speak about the budget on his behalf. It is not for the council to dictate. It is the task of the council to review and scrutinize the budget. If warranted, the budget can be slashed by the City Council.

The council out of parliamentary courtesy cannot and should not interfere with the decision of the chief executive as to whom to send and speak to defend the budget. That should be respected in the same manner that the mayor is expected to respect the job of the City Council in reviewing his proposal.

What Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Young should have done was to respect the representative of the mayor, Asst. City Treasurer Emma Villarete in the budget hearing. By not recognizing the representative of the mayor I felt that the vice mayor was just too arrogant for political reasons. It was too small a matter to sweat. The vice mayor out of parliamentary courtesy should have asked the mayor why City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo was not tasked to explain the budget.

Besides, no harm is being brought to the city if Camarillo will not present the budget. On this issue I am with the mayor here because he is not interfering with the task of the councilors.

One must remember that former city treasurer Ofelia Oliva was the choice of the mayor but she was replaced by the finance secretary upon the egging of Congressman Tommy Osmeña thus Camarillo is not the choice of the sitting mayor.

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The story of the tragic death of Ramgen Revilla has turned into the tale of a grieving family turning against the half-brother politician.

The latest in the story is that Ramgen’s sister Ramona left the country for Turkey and half-brother Sen. Bong Revilla has asked the authorities to bring her back.

Ramona’s mother Genelyn Magsaysay has pleaded that Bong Revilla stay out of their family. Ramona remains a suspect in the murder of Ramgen Revilla and her flight has raised so many questions.