Rama rejects P105.6M dump truck purchase

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has rejected the proposed procurement of P105.6 million worth of garbage trucks for the barangays.

Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr. requested to purchase 80 units of dump trucks at P1.32 million each to be distributed to the different barangays of the city.

Rama said the inclusion of the amount in the 2015 Annual Investment Plan is already invalid and impossible since the AIP is already approved. In a resolution passed on November 26, 2014, the council asked Rama to prioritize Barangays Cambinocot, Paril, Cogon Ramos, Day-as, Guadalupe, Inayawan, Pahina Central, Kinasang-an, Mabolo, Pahina San Nicolas, Pasil, T. Padilla, and Talamban.

Of the 13 barangays, only Kinasang-an, Inayawan, and Cambinocot are allied with Team Rama, the rest are supporters of Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan.

 “This office also interposes objection to the second resolving clause (prioritization clause) which specifies the barangays to be prioritized in the purchase of dump truck, the same being the prerogative of the City Mayor,” read Rama’s letter to the Council secretary.

The mayor said that the unit price is quite expensive. He said the cost of 80 dump trucks is “only P80 million” based on the information provided by the city budget office.

Gabuya, who authored the measure, said these barangays have no sufficient dump trucks to cater and serve their constituents considering the worsening garbage problem.

“This barangays do not have dump trucks. It’s the obligation of the mayor to provide them the vehicles if he wants the barangays to participate with the collection of garbage. Besides, this is AIP it may or it may not be implemented,” he said.

Association of Barangay Councils president Philip Zafra said they have yet to conduct an inventory of serviceable and unserviceable dump trucks in the barangays.

Department of Public Services chief Rolando Ardosa, for his part, said the city has 27 dump trucks servicing and supplementing disposal and garbage collection from the barangays.

Councilor Gerardo Carillo said the resolution is “effective” because the mayor need not sign all the resolutions as provided for under the existing constitutional provisions, except items of an appropriations ordinance, an ordinance or resolution adopting a local development plan and public investment program, or an ordinance directing the payment of money or creating liability as stipulated in Section 55 of the Local Government Code.

“The mayor doesn’t have to sign, the resolution is already approved for all its intents and purposes in accordance with the Local Government Code,” he said. — (FREEMAN)