Toledo gov’t offices lose power

CEBU, Philippines - All government offices in Toledo City except for the jail and hospital facilities lost electricity after the Cebu Electric Cooperative (Cebeco) III disconnected power yesterday for unpaid bills amounting to P1.2 million.

Offices that lost power are the New City Hall, Bureau of Fire Protection, Toledo City Police Station, Tourism Office and the city-owned Traveler's Inn where Mayor John Henry "Sonny" Osmeña and other officials are holding offices.

Officials of the City Hospital and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology have requested Cebeco III not to cut their electricity for fear of disruption of medical machines and equipments and riot among inmates, respectively.

The City Council held a session even without electricity, giving the venue to pass the resolution sponsored by Councilor Ricardo Pepito requesting Osmeña to direct the city treasurer to pay the electricity bills and the salaries of the employees under the reenacted budget.

Majority of the council members voted in favor of the resolution which was furnished to the management of Cebeco III.

"The local government unit cannot stop functioning because gi-question ang annual budget," said Councilor Helen Jill Espinosa.

Councilor Leo Dolino tried to object to the passage of the resolution saying the city can no longer disburse funds under the reenacted budget. Dolino said there was already an approved 2014 budget which the court restrained from disbursing.

The Regional Trial Court has stopped the disbursement of the annual budget following a petition from city councilors who said the approval was illegal because it was done without a quorum.

Osmeña has filed a Petition for Certiorari asking the Court Appeals to intervene and allow them to disburse the budget for 2014 amounting to P619 million.

City legal officer, Glenn Cavada, said they cannot release payments otherwise they can be held in contempt by the court.

Osmeña was not available for comment yesterday.

He earlier complained the city government is "totally paralyzed" following the court issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction for the disbursement of the 2014 annual budget.

Osmeña said they can no longer pay the city employees their salaries and buy gasoline for police cars, ambulances and garbage trucks.

The majority members of the City Council maintained that the case for the declaration of the budget ordinance 2014 was null and void with prayer for prohibition, temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction.

They added that the same is not the case regarding the salaries of the employees of the City Hall.

"The respondents very well knew that when there is no budget appropriation for the year, a re-enacted budget takes place, wherein the salaries of the employees are very much protected and assured," the City Council members claimed.

Section 323 of the Local Government Code provides that only the annual appropriations for salaries and wages of existing positions, statutory contractual obligations, and essential operating expenses authorized in the annual and supplemental budgets for the preceding year shall be deemed  re-enacted, and disbursement of funds shall be in accordance therewith.

Councilors Ricardo Pepito, Antonio Borja Jr., Rogelio Caburnay, Louis Nicholas Espinosa, Helen Jill Espinosa and Aguilar filed a petition for the declaration of the city ordinance known as "Appropriation No. 2014-001" null and void.

They alleged that there was no quorum during the special session when the questioned ordinance was passed last March 27. It was approved by Osmeña on the same day.  — Gregg M. Rubio with Jean Marvette A. Demecillo and Raymond Abarcas/BRP