Tommy distributes aid to fire victims

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City South district Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña yesterday distributed cash assistance of P10,000 for each of the 24 families in sitio Bugnay, Labangon whose houses were razed by a fire several weeks ago.

Although the financial assistance for the fire victims is delayed because of several requirements to be gathered to support its release, Osmeña said the fire victims got the maximum amount of financial aid allowed by law.

Each of the owners of houses that were totally burned got P10,000 while the owners of houses that were damaged by the fire also received P5,000 each.

Osmeña is giving financial aid not only to the fire victims in the south district but also in the north district because according to him, City Hall is not providing them even with one-peso cash assistance.

The former city mayor yesterday provided the media with an initial accounting of his cash assistance to the constituents of the city that already reached P28.5 million or at a monthly average expenses of P687,000.

Mayor Michael Rama on Thursday had challenged Osmeña to make an accounting of how he spent his P70-million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) that Osmeña acquired during the first year of being a congressman.

According to Osmeña, he will not fail Rama of his wish but the accounting shall be made by him months before his three-year term of office will end on 2013.

Aside from the cash assistance for the fire victims, Osmeña also spent his PDAF to give medical assistance of up to P25,000 to each of the indigent families because the city is only giving P5,000-worth of medical assistance.

Rama welcomed Osmeña’s move of giving cash and medical assistance even to the residents of the north district. Political experts are seeing the possibility that Osmeña and Rama would fight against each other as mayor of the city in the 2013 elections.  (FREEMAN)