Osmeña gets away with veto

The Cebu City Council failed to override Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s veto on the City Government’s P7.2-billion annual budget for this year.

The 17-member council needed 12 votes to override it.

During their first regular session for the year yesterday, nine councilors backed Councilor Jose Daluz III’s proposal to override the mayor’s veto while six councilors opposed it.

Osmeña vetoed more than 15 provisions, or conditions, under budget ordinances 2472 and 2471, saying it restricts his authority as a local chief executive to manage the affairs of the City.

When the matter was tackled, Daluz asked the legislative body to override only three items that were opposed by the mayor.

Daluz explained that the reason they required the council’s approval before the City hires job-order ( JO) workers is to make sure that the local project where their services are needed is approved first.

He also explained the provision (Section 14) requiring the appointment of the barangay captains first before allowances of tanods, garbage collectors, street sweepers, lupong tagapamayapa and barangay environment officers are released.

“The purpose of this is to give emphasis to the role of our barangays. The barangay serves as the primary planning and implementing unit of government policies, plans, programs and projects in their community. We just want to be assured that the aid to the barangays really goes to the barangay workers,” Daluz said.

It’s the same reason they required the barangay captains’ appointment before salaries of the barangay health workers (Section 15) are released.

“We are not really imposing an additional requirement. It would be best if the barangay is involved in the identification of barangay health workers,” he added.

Osmeña had said the provisions inserted by the council in the budget ordinance are ultra-vires, or beyond the council’s power.