Labella assured: I will leave budget alone

While in Japan, Osmeña asks acting mayor not to touch budget

ACTING Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella assured that even without Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s “special” instruction, he will not be approving the P7.2-billion 2017 annual budget the City Council passed last week.

In a letter dated Dec. 23, Osmeña asked Labella to make sure that no action be done on the General Funds and Special Account Appropriations Ordinance enacted last Dec. 20 while he is on leave.

Given that his temporary absence will only be for six days, the mayor pointed out that he has 10 days from receipt of the transmitted enacted appropriation ordinance to review and act on the matter.

“It would be prudent that the submission thereof be made upon my return to office. This is also to avoid the situation that the one who enacted the ordinance would still be the one approving. (It would be) a situation frowned upon by law,” reads a portion of the letter.

Labella was the presiding officer during the regular session at the time the council approved the appropriation ordinance.

In a press conference last Sunday, a day before leaving for a family vacation in Japan, Osmeña re- iterated his instructions.

He said Labella would be “put in a very difficult position” should he decide to act on the budget as acting mayor.

“Do not touch the budget. I’m only away temporarily. He can’t play the role of legislature and executive at the same time,” he told reporters.

Labella, for his part, said that for ethical reasons and delikadesa (propriety), he is conceding to the mayor’s directive.

In a press conference yesterday, he explained that this won’t be the first time an appropriation ordinance was laid on his table for approval as act- ing mayor.

“When I was acting mayor, coincidentally, I was also the presiding officer at the time before the 2016 budget was passed. In fact, there was some sort of impasse because the majority bloc at that time wanted me to act on it, but for reasons of delikadesa and ethical dimensions, I did not,” Labella said.

“In the same manner now, I was the main imprimatur who participated in the deliberation, attested the ordinance being passed by the council. Even without the advice from the mayor, I would not (sign),” he added.