Councilor Margot Osmeña Requests COA to Review Rama’s P2M Expenses for Sport Uniforms

The Commission on Audit (COA) has been requested by Cebu City Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña to investigate the legality of Mayor Michael Rama’s move of spending close to P2 million for the purchase of 6,000 sets of basketball uniforms.

In her letter addressed to Cebu City Auditor Cymbeline Celia Uy dated April 18, 2013, Osmeña believed that the charging of the expenditures against the “other supplies and materials-programs and other activities” of different offices under the Office of the Mayor is highly questionable.

The documents showed that Angel Sports Wear had won the bidding for the P1,999,750 project to supply the city of 6,000 sets of basketball uniforms to be distributed to different barangays of the city whenever they will conduct basketball tournaments.

The needed funds will be taken from the allocated budgets for the Private Sector Organizations Evaluation and Monitoring Program; Coastline Management Board; Cooperative Development Program; Anti-Squatting and Demolition Program; City Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team; Office of the Senior Citizens; Comprehensive Land Use Plan; and Operational Budget for City Development Council.

Osmeña believed that the needed budget for the purchase of basketball uniforms cannot be charged to the accounts that have specific purpose that is why she has requested the COA to look into the mattter.

“The undersigned respectfully requests from your office to conduct a review on the said procurement and to furnish me with a copy of your findings,” Osmeña told the city auditor.