Labella’s role in passage of calamity aid sought

CEBU, Philippines - Did Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella participate in the passage of two budget ordinances that granted the “questionable” release of P20,000 in calamity aid to each of City Hall’s 4,200 employees and officials?

This was the question left hanging in the mind of lawyer Benjamin Militar, the legal counsel of complainant lawyer Reymelio Delute, during the last day of the formal investigation into the matter by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, as Labella was not around yesterday.

“It is because the process of passing the resolution as well as the ordinance itself was subjected to a caucus. As they’ve (city officials) said, it was passed after the caucus. In other words, there was participation on the part of the vice mayor. That is what we wanted to ask,” Militar told the DILG hearing officer.

Delute questioned the release of the amount, which was intended as aid for victims of the October 2013 earthquake and the November 2013 supertyphoon Yolanda.

Casas said Labella came to the hearing venue at the DILG-7 office at around 1:30 p.m. but had to leave since Labella had to attend an official business at the City Hall.

Labella is acting mayor since Thursday because Mayor Michael Rama is in Paris attending a global forum on climate change.

Since Labella could no longer wait for others to arrive, Casas withdrew the stipulation for Labella to testify and prove that “he is really an actual victim of calamity.”

“So in order to dispense with the testimony of the vice mayor, we will move to withdraw the offer as far as that particular purpose is concerned,” said Casas.

But Militar raised another issue questioning the participation of Labella when the budget ordinances were passed and approved by the legislative body.

“He…only acted as the presiding officer and he did not participate in the deliberation for or against the passage of the ordinance. Thus, the remaining issue to be resolved if the vice mayor is an actual victim of the calamity (or not),” Casas said in response.

Militar alleged that Labella participated in the discussion with the city councilors when the budget ordinances 2379 and 2380 were deliberated upon.

By virtue of the two ordinances, the City Council approved the release of over P87 million as calamity assistance for City Hall employees and officials.

“He participated in the caucus and probably he aired also his views. We also wanted to listen to his views during the passage of these ordinances. That is our manifestation, anyway he is not coming,” said Militar.

And if Casas’ words were to be reckoned with, Labella is no longer testifying.

“We don’t intend to present the respondent vice mayor to testify on those matters. Those matters were not included in the original complaint and if they (complainant) want to know as to what really happened during the caucus, it is not for us to present the vice mayor as their witness. They should have called the vice mayor to testify on those matters as their witness and not as our witness,” said Casas.

Aside from Labella, Delute sued Mayor Michael Rama and 12 city councilors over what Delute described as an act that constituted grave misconduct and abuse of authority.

He alleged that the elected City Hall officials were not direct victims of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake and the super typhoon.

Although Labella was not available yesterday, 12 City Hall employees took the witness stand during the hearing and confirmed the statements and signatures in their respective sworn affidavits.

City Attorney Jerone Castillo said the City Hall employees were there to disprove “stories” that they would make people pretend as calamity victims.

“It (sworn affidavit) will only prove that there is no such thing as fabrication of calamity victims… If you have [12] people saying that they are victims, how can you fabricate? That’s the point there and if we present all of them, it’s the same issue,” he said as they initially announced that they would be presenting 30 City Hall employees.

Militar argued, however, that the extent of the damage suffered should have been verified before the cash aid was granted.

“If you (employee) say that you are a victim, (City Hall) should believe him. No person in his right mind would say that he is a victim if he is not,” said Castillo. — May B. Miasco/RHM (FREEMAN)