Solon to Ask Ombud;DILG to Investigate legality over Rama’s Contract with Construction Firms

The Cebu City Council yesterday requested the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to investigate the legality of Mayor Michael Rama’s move of entering contracts to private contractors without the authority of the city legislators.

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña strongly believed that what Rama did was highly irregular because while the law provides that the mayor is authorized to sign contracts on behalf of the city, but it should be authorized by the City Council.

Rama had already signed the contracts with the manager of Supreme Construction for the P50.4 million Clearing and Embankment for a road project at the South Road Properties (SRP) and with Geety Realty and Development Corporation for the P167.3 million reconstruction of Carbon Public Market Unit 2. “It appears now that it is becoming a practice of Rama’s administration to bypass the City Council,” said Osmeña when she delivered a privilege speech during the council’s session Wednesday.

Councilor Jose Daluz III, one of Rama’s allies in the City Council, said the approval of the City Council for that specific projects are no longer needed because it was already mentioned in the annual budget that the funds are for that purpose.

But Osmeña argued that it was clearly explained by the Supreme Court that if the fundings of the project will be charged from the lump sum budget the concurrence of the City Council is necessary.

Osmeña also raised the issue that the contract was signed despite the absence of a new certificate of availability of funds. The certificate of availability of funds was still issued by then city treasurer Ofelia Oliva.

In her speech yesterday, Osmeña raised the question on why Rama’s administration is rushing for the projects?

The mayor later explained that the vendors of Carbon Market are dreaming of the new building for several years already because the old Carbon market building was burned in 1998 yet.

“Naunsa gud tawon na sila,” Rama said.

The contract for the reconstruction of Carbon Market Unit 2 has been approved during the stint of then mayor Alvin Garcia but it was not implemented when then Mayor Tomas Osmeña assumed his position in 2001.