Treasury chief to stay on

OIC Cebu City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo will stay in her post until the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) names her replacement, said BLGF Central Visayas director Carmelane Tugas.

“I will continue to function as city treasurer until such time that there’s a replacement,” Camarillo told Cebu Daily News yesterday.

A faxed copy of Tugas’ directive was received at Camarillo’s office yesterday.

The letter was used by the Cebu City Council to summon anew Camarillo to their budget hearing to address their concerns on the 2012 budget revenue sources.

Mayor Michael Rama earlier wrote the BLGF national office to seek Camarillo’s replacement citing his lack of trust and confidence in her.

Last Monday, Rama issued a memorandum directing assistant city treasurer Emma Villarete as acting treasurer until  a replacement is named.

As this developed, Cebu CIty Hall was warned that  it faces disallowance after it exceeded the personnel service (PS) ceiling authorized by law by at least P200 million.

The excess resulted from the release of cash incentives, which included the sanitation allowances to personnel of the Department of Public Services (DPS), said the Department of Budget and Management in Central Visayas (DBM-7).

DBM-7 Regional Director Carmela Fernan reminded the city to  comply “with all existing laws, rules and regulations” to prevent a disallowance.

Cebu City Budget Officer Nelfa Briones said the agency also included the terminal leave claims of some personnel.

“We are still looking into the matter.  We are  preparing a reply to DBM that there are items that should not be computed (included in the PS computation),” she said.

Fernan sent two letters on the disallowance to the council coursed through Rama’s office  dated last Aug. 10 while the third letter was dated Oct. 28.

Councilor Margot Osmeña said they only found out about Fernan’s letter when she and the budget committee visited her yesterday morning to consult about budgeting laws.

Osmeña, current budget committee chairperson, said Fernan gave them copies of the letters she addressed to the City Council through Mayor Michael Rama’s office.

“We have until the end of the year to make the reply (before we’ll be issued a notice of disallowance),” she said. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac