9 BOPK dads sued over budget delay

CEBU, Philippines - Nine members of the Cebu City Council are facing criminal and administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for their refusal to act on the P2.8 billion supplemental budget number 1.

Councilors Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, Sisinio Andales, Alvin Arcilla, Nestor Archival, Roberto Cabarrubias, Alvin Dizon, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Mary Ann De Los Santos, and Nida Cabrera were accused of malfeasance, dereliction of duty, gross misconduct, grave abuse of authority, violation of oath of office, reckless imprudence resulting in loss of P1.5 million a day of city funds, and malversation of public funds.

The respondents are all members of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan who earlier voted to defer the discussion of the supplemental budget until the legal issues on the source of funds are resolved with finality.

 Three “concerned taxpayers”—Rolando Zozobrado, Sofio Miral, and Bernardo Tamundo—filed the complaint on Wednesday before the anti-graft body.

The complainants are asking the Ombudsman to intervene for the immediate enactment of the budget ordinance.

The complainants claimed that the respondents’ refusal to pass the supplemental budget has affected their daily lives since it has hindered the delivery of basic services, especially the collection of garbage.

According to them, the inaction of the respondents has resulted in the city government’s paying of P1.5 million a day for the interest of its loan which could have already been paid had the City Council passed the budget ordinance.

 The City Council deferred the discussion of the budget which was funded from the sale of the South Road Property lots because of the civil case for injunction filed by Romulo Torres.

Torres wants the court to stop the city government from using the proceeds of the sale of the SRP lots until the legal issues surrounding it are resolved.

Rama denied any hand in the filing of the complaint.

He said he would have wanted people to avoid resorting to legal proceedings. However, Rama said he cannot also bar anyone from filing charges.

 “How I wish they should never be pursuing into that direction. We should not be suing each other. But if stubbornness will reign, I cannot stop any taxpayer and I cannot even stop (them) having file a case against me,” Rama said.

BOPK chieftain Tomas Osmeña described the charges as political harassment orchestrated by Rama.

 “That’s Rama, hadlok siya to go and to sit there. Go ahead file, he has always been threatening to file, then let somebody file,” said Tomas.

Tomas said the respondents were only exercising their legislative functions.

Margot said she respects the rights of the complainants.

 “They have their every right to do that so we will just wait to see. It is the first time it happens to me so I don’t have to react, we are just doing our jobs,” she said.

Rama said the legal procedures will determine whether the grounds of the complaints are political harassment or based on evidence.

The complaints were among the issues discussed yesterday during Rama’s meeting with the Cebu media leaders. (FREEMAN)