Rama questions council’s move to override veto
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has questioned the validity of the City Council’s session when it overrode its vetoed budget for 2024.
Before leaving for Singapore, the mayor has ordered the review of the deliberation of the council’s decision to override his veto of some items of the 2024 Annual Budget.
A week after, the executive department, especially Rama is still left hanging as they have not yet received an original or certified copy of the transcription of the proceedings.
“Until now, wa pa may kopya sa what’s going on,” said Rama in a press conference at the City Hall yesterday.
The mayor also wanted to know the validity of the session when they overrode the vetoed items of this year’s budget.
Rama wanted to know how it was done, who were present and how they voted.
“It’s not about affecting my plans and programs, its to intelligently (discuss) mi…We intelligently have our veto done …We were wishing on the side of the Sanggunian, they will be decent enough to tell us as well because up to now, akong pangutana, asa man sila nag session? Naa pay Covid? Is Covid still prevailing? They are having Zoom? Was there really a session called? If and when there was –minutes…How? When they were doing it, who were in Cebu City, out of the country, etc. And if someone was out of the country it should be signed by me,” Rama added.
The mayor emphasized he does not want it to be like the outcome of the approval of the Carbon Market redevelopment project’s JVA when the majority of the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod approved it even without going over the fine prints.
“Putting it all together, we would have wished as we were working it out, that they should not be thinking that they are also the mayor…Naa man gud nay mga rule gud,” Rama said.
The city’s Budget and Finance Officer, Atty. Jerone Castillo, disclosed having received a copy of the supposed transcript of the session, but said, it was not certified as true, does, as a lawyer, he cannot act on it as well.
City Administrator, Atty. Collin Rosell, also shared the same sentiments with the mayor and Castillo while emphasizing that more than anything else, this is a public concern and all concerned should be serious with it.
“Nothing out of this appropriation, and we stand by that, will go into the pockets of each and every one of us…this is all about the public, and this is public concern, we have to be serious with one,” Rosell said.
With this, the mayor is calling on the council headed by Vice Mayor Raymond Garcia to have all questions answered for them to be able to make their position.
“We cannot make a really intelligent position when there is no intelligent documentation provided. So that being the case, they have to bring all these questions answered,” Rama said. -- Caecent No-ot Magsumbol/GMR