Cebu City Council Trashes New Proposed PHP6-B 2016 Budget

The four-member Cebu City Council denied the PHP6-billion revised proposed PHP6-billion 2016 annual budget submitted by Acting Mayor Margarita Osmeña.

Only four councilors are left in the council after the Office of the President suspended 12 councilors, along with outgoing Mayor Michael Rama and reelected Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella.

They are Cebu City Councilors James Cuenco, Lea Japson, Richard Osmena and Philip Zafra.

Cuenco, who chairs the committee on budget and finance, moved for the disapproval of the proposed annual budget for several reasons, particularly some legal questions that are still “hanging.”

The motion was quickly approved.

Among the legal questions, he said, was the lack of preparation for the deliberation on the proposed annual budget, plus questions as to who is authorized to submit it and competence to tackle it.

Cuenco earlier raised the questions whether the acting mayor has the power to submit the proposed budget and whether a four-member council can validly approve it.

He said the decision to deny the budget is a party decision of Team Rama which now has the majority, having three members in the four-member council.

Cuenco said he wanted the budget to be tackled by the upcoming council and the new executive department.

He said the annual budget is “an important piece of legislation,” and it will be more prudent to discuss it with more minds sharing their sides on the matter. (PNA) LAP/EB/PJN