Invisible hands
SEVERAL sectors have asked why Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes is billing the Cebu City Government P2 million for operating a slaughterhouse within his jurisdiction only now. The slaughterhouse has been operating for years.
While taxation is one of a local government unit’s revenue-generating measures, political kibitzers can see former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña’s hand in the pot. They suspect Osmeña suggested to Cortes to tax the slaugtherhouse and Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama.
Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan councilors have been stirring things related to Cebu City Hall’s finances questioning budget proposals that do not have corresponding funds but proposing measures that would force the local government to release funds it did not have. Among such proposed schemes were the monthly release of cash aid to senior citizens and additional financial assistance to solo parents.
Plot thickens
Text messages are circling that Tomas Osmeña is also whispering to DILG Sec. Mar Roxas to suspend Rama, following the release of the P20,000-calamity assistance to City Hall officials and employees last year.
A lawyer filed an administrative complaint against Mayor Rama and 13 other city officials. The case is now with DILG 7 but it recently suspended the hearing because of jurisdictional question.
What do you think prompted the lawyer to file the complaint in the first place?
Love triangle and biometrics
Mornings can be exciting at the City Hall. A male employee lined up to time in at the biometrics station with his rumored paramour. It was just unfortunate that the male employee’s wife lined up behind them. So husband and wife did not leave the house together?
The wife was not happy with what she saw and grabbed the paramour’s hair. Unfortunately, the guard was roving and the lowly janitor was left to break off the fight. All three employees are under one department but the wife is assigned outside City Hall.
Love’s other demons
This married department head is angry that his favorite local government employee is flirting with her married supervisor. The employee and the supervisor belong to the same department while the high-ranking official heads a different department.
The department head’s ego got the better of him and ordered the HRDO to transfer his favorite employee to another department. But he wasn’t as brash as to demand that the woman be transferred to his department.