OGCC asks city to clarify Rallos issue

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council informed the Office of the Government Corporate Counsels (OGCC) that there is no existing ordinance that appropriates P133 million for the payment of the road lot in Barangay Sambag II owned by the late Rev. Fr. Vicente Rallos.

OGCC lawyer Raoul Creencia sent a letter to Mayor Michael Rama requesting for clarification on which is correct - the certification issued by the City Treasurer’s Office or that of the Cebu City Council.

While then acting city treasurer Tessie Camarillo insisted that all of the city’s funds deposited in the banks are already appropriated for specific projects and can no longer be garnished to satisfy the court order for the payment of the Rallos’ lot, the City Council’s record officer had made a conflicting certification.

Records Officer Perseveranda Baculi issued a certification that there is no record on file about an ordinance appropriating or allocating for specific projects for city’s funds that are deposited with the Philippine Postal Savings Bank.

But in a later interview with Baculi, she said that while she was not able to clearly state what she meant, what she was trying to say was that there was no ordinance that appropriated an amount for the payment of Rallos lot.

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, chairperson of the committee on budget and finance, said the committee will give more credence to the certification issued by the city treasurer.

While the lawyers of the Ralloses have tried their best to collect the P133 million from the city, Mayor Michael Rama also insists on not paying the amount. He already asked the Court of Appeals to nullify the order of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) for the garnishment of the city’s funds from its depository banks.

 Rama had insisted that all money claims against the government must first be filed with the Commission on Audit (COA), which will refer the matter to the local chief executives in order to allocate the necessary amount if such claim is justified.

 He said the city will not pay the amount because the city already paid P56 million of the total selling price, which is only close to P50 million, and the city also got a copy of a court document that in 1940 the Rallos family had already agreed that they will make a road within their property for public use.  (FREEMAN)