Cebu City Council Majority Bloc Blocks Deliberation of PHP2.8B SB1

The majority bloc in the Cebu City Council has blocked an attempt to open for deliberation the proposed PHP2.8-billion first supplemental budget (SB1) this year, which includes workers’ incentives and funds to address garbage collection problems.

SB1 includes an allocation of PHP77.3 million for the productivity enhancement incentive (PEI) of some 5,000 Cebu City Hall employees.

The PEI is equivalent to one month’s salary of every employee.

Some 1,000 city workers staged a protest rally in front of the Cebu City Hall Wednesday to decry the council’s inaction on SB1, which also includes PHP87 million in additional funds for garbage collection and disposal and the PHP2.4-billion payment for the remaining south road Properties (SRP) loan with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The city council last week decided to suspend all deliberations on SB1 because of a pending case against all members of the council.

Cebu City Councilor Gerardo Carillo, in a privilege speech Wednesday, appealed to his colleagues to remember their obligations and resume discussions on the proposed first supplemental budget (SB 1).

When his motion was put to a vote, the majority bloc of the City Council voted 9-7, rejecting the proposal to lift its suspension on discussions on the proposed budget.

The majority bloc decided last week to hold in abeyance the approval of SB1 after lawyer Romulo Torres of Barangay Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City filed a case against the council.

Torres wants the court to stop the city from using the PHP8.35-billion down payment it received for some lots in the SRP, a part of which would have been used to fund SB1. (PNA) LAP/EB/EDS