Mayor Rama Wants Investigation on “Extravagant Expenditures”

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has ordered an investigation into the city’s “extravagant expenditures” when it purchased five bottles of rubbing alcohol for P21,222.

“Ato gyud na nga tan-awon,” said the mayor, who will formally issue an order to City Administrator Lucelle Mercado today for her to look into the matter.

In an interview with Metro Cebu News, Rama said he does not tolerate illegal activities.

In its examination of the city’s 2014 transactions, the Commission on Audit discovered that the city bought five bottles of rubbing alcohol for P21,222.90, or at P4,244.58 for each of bottle.

Rama refused to comment when asked if he thinks the amount is overpriced, saying he would like to hear the people concerned first.

“We will ask them first to explain,” he said, as he expressed his thanks to the COA for the “insights” into the city’s financial transactions.

In a report also published in The Freeman, the mayor said he had always reminded all City Hall department heads and staff members to refrain from doing illegal activities, particularly graft and corruption.

“Kun anaa man gani gyuy mga tinonto sa akong mga sakop, naa may panultihon nga foolishness will go back to their body,” Rama said, whose governance battle cry is “Tul-iron ang hiwi” (straighten up the crooked).

In its audit report, COA said the City Government did not properly use its share of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) funds when it spent P2.16 million to pay for snacks and meals, shirts, and some other expenses.

The payments, state auditors said, did not conform with the guidelines that Pagcor sets, as the P4 million a month that the state gaming corporation gives is supposedly only for use on health, peace and order, youth and sports development and some other projects that benefit the public.

Rama, though, said he was not convinced of the COA’s findings that the city violated the rules when it spent the P2.16 million.

“Ang-ang man ‘sab og pagutman na lang nato ang mga senior citizens, nga dili na lang nato sila pakan-on,” said Rama, who added the city would just submit its explanation to COA about the matter.

In particular, the P2.16 million went to snacks during the Sinulog 2014 Devotee City launching (P349,980), “incentives of employees who rendered services” there (P200,000), 130 units of “hustling pull’ (P358,000), shirts marked “Devotee City” (P90,155).

Other expenses are for two pieces of Lawaan wood (P49,392), and four rolls of yellow and green ribbons (P49,857, or P12,464.25 each); snacks served during the Senior Citizens Month (P595,000); buffet meal for an event (P447,500); and the five alcohol bottles (P21,222.90).

The City Budget Office earlier said it did not have control over the Pagcor funds because disbursement is under the Office of the Mayor.