‘Political motive’

Rama questions proposal of councilor to raise financial aid for the elderly

If approved, senior citizens in Cebu City will be receiving P15T annually

TO ADDRESS the increasing needs of the elderly, a Cebu City councilor is pushing for a bigger annual financial assistance to all qualified senior citizens in the city.

From P12,000, Councilor Sisinio Andales wants the amount raised to P15,000.

The City has been distributing the cash aid in tranches.

“Senior citizens benefited much from the financial assistance. However, there are some necessary expenses which senior citizens ought to avail (themselves) or have for their health and comfort,” Andales said.

He said P1,000 a month is just not enough, adding that the elderly have been clamoring for a raise in assistance.

Money to spare

Besides, Andales said, the City has “huge money” from the sale of lots at the South Road Properties (SRP) to fund the increase.

“Let them enjoy on their twilight stages in life. Let us care and love them,” he said.

An approved resolution of Andales is asking the City Treasurer’s Office and the City Budget Office to study and make recommendations on the matter.

Sought for comment, Mayor Michael Rama said it is executive department’s sole discretion to raise the assistance.

“I already made a position on that matter. The move is plainly politics. Maybe he’s losing votes from the seniors that’s why he’s proposing that increase,” he said.

‘ Wrong’ focus

Rama earlier asked the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs to study and make recommendations on the move to raise the cash aid.

The mayor said the council should first continue to discuss the proposed P3.32billion first supplemental budget (SB 1), which has long been stalled.

The majority bloc of the council has deferred discussion of the SB 1 because they want to be prudent after lawyer Romulo Torres of Barangay Basak San Nicolas filed in court a petition for a declaratory relief that seeks to stop the City from spending the P8.35-billion down payment it received for the sale of 45.2 hectares at the SRP.

“Why don’t they tackle first the SB 1? They have another responsibility and they keep on insisting that, it has been clear that they are being political,” Rama said.