Council tables payment for basketball goals Rama's office distributed in 2013

CEBU, Philippines - Almost one year after the procurement of 100 sets of basketball goals by the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC), payment amounting to P3.74 million is yet to be approved by the City Council.

CCSC has requested the council to authorize the city budget officer to charge the amount to the city’s capital outlay/sports equipment “in order to process the payment of the said procurement.”

However, council members decided Wednesday that the request be laid on the table first for further study, especially on the availability of funds.

The FREEMAN tried to contact City Councilor Richard Osmeña, who authored the resolution on the payment request, but he was unavailable as of press time.

The purchase of the basketball goals went through the Bids and Awards Committee.

In a Feb. 4, 2013 letter to City Councilor Margarita Osmeña, city council committee on budget and finance head, CCSC Chairperson Edward Hayco said that the goals were distributed by the Office of the Mayor, not by his office.

Hayco said Mayor Michael Rama’s Feb. 7, 2012 memorandum instructed that all sports equipment and supplies should be placed under the custody of the mayor’s office, which would do the distribution.

“I am aware of the purchase, however, the distribution of the said materials were not made by us since our office have received the memorandum,” he said.

Memorandum 30120016 stated that “in the exigency of public service, all requests for the holding of various sports events/tournaments shall be submitted to the office of the mayor for approval.”

Hayco said the basketball goals were requested in October 2012 but were only delivered to the CCSC on March 28, 2013. –/RHM (FREEMAN)