Council overrides Mike’s veto

CEBU, Philippines - The senior citizens in the city may soon receive their cash aid from the Cebu City Government on a monthly basis.

This after the Cebu City Council overrode yesterday the veto of Mayor Michael Rama on the amendments of the ordinance that will change the schedule of the releasing cash assistance from quarterly to monthly.

Councilor Edgardo Labella did not agree to override the mayor’s veto but he was over powered by the 14 other city legislators who are all allies of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

The two other councilors who are Team Rama allies, Edu Rama and Jose Daluz III, were absent during yesterday’s session.

Rama was not surprised of the override because the City Council had already overrode several ordinances that he vetoed for being illegal.

The mayor insisted that the distribution of the cash assistance for the senior citizens is the duty of the executive department and not of the legislative department.

This is the reason he will not comply with the provisions of the ordinance and he is willing to be jailed for this.

When the City Council approved the 2013 Budget Ordinance, it was provided that the distribution of the cash assistance will be done only in June and December.

But the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), an office under the Office of the Mayor, had initiated a signature campaign among the senior citizens to ask the city legislators to reconsider their decision because they need money for their medical needs.

This prompted the City Council to amend the ordinance providing that the release of the P10,000 cash assistance to each of the senior citizens shall be made on a monthly basis.

The mayor had already released P4,000 to each of the senior citizens last week.  — (FREEMAN)