Council overrides Rama's veto on scholarship committee membership

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council yesterday insisted to include the chairman of the social services committee as member of the City Scholarship Committee when it decided to override the partial veto of Mayor Michael Rama.

The mayor only vetoed the provision of the ordinance that created the composition of the City Scholarship Committee because the chairman of the City Council’s committee on public services has been included as member.

Rama said it would be inappropriate for Councilor Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa, who chairs the committee on social services, to sit as member because he owns the Asian College of Technology.

Rama’s allies in the City Council — Councilors Edgardo Labella and Jose Daluz III — abstained from the voting when Councilor Alvin Dizon moved to override the mayor’s partial veto.

Labella and Daluz, both lawyers, supported Rama’s stand that it would be conflict of interest for Abellanosa to sit as member of the city scholarship committee.

Abellanosa admitted that more than 4,000 of the city’s scholars are studying in his school, most of them taking computer-related courses, because the City Government refused to allow them to take four or five-year courses.

Abellanosa added that if the mayor would insist on the issue of conflict of interest, then he will not be personally attending the meeting of the scholarship committee.

Labella and Daluz explained that they are not objecting to the inclusion of the social services committee as member of the City Scholarship Committee if Abellanosa would make true his promise that he will not attend the meeting.

Abellanosa explained that he insisted that the City Council’s social services committee be represented in every meeting of the City Scholarship Committee to ensure that the rights of the children of the poor city residents are protected.

Abellanosa is against the policy that only children with an average rating of 2.5 can be accepted to the scholarship program.

Of the 20 schools accredited by the city for the program, the Asian College of Technology (ACT) has more than 4,000 scholars.

Abellanosa is one of the councilors who are affiliated with the Bando Osmeña Pundok-Kauswagan (BOPK).     - THE FREEMAN