DOF junked Cebu City mayor’s request to extend again city treasurer’s service

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

THE Department of Finance (DOF) has made a final decision on Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s request to keep City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva. And the answer is no.

The DOF disapproved the extension of Oliva’s service in Cebu City, her fourth.

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In effect, the DOF granted the requests of Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) for Oliva’s transfer.

Rama questioned the DOF’s decision. He pointed out that the DOF has not replied to his two letters.

“Who are they listening to? Is there another mayor?” he asked during a news conference.

Rama yesterday received a letter from the DOF and a copy of Osmeña’s request for Oliva’s transfer.

Violation

In his letter to Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Osmeña said Oliva has been overstaying at the Cebu City Hall, a “direct violation” of DOF rules on re-assignments and designations of officers-in-charge (OICs).

Osmeña pointed out that Oliva was first re-assigned to and designated as OIC treasurer of Cebu City for six months on July 16, 2009 until Jan. 15, 2010

Osmeña said Oliva already had her first extension on from Jan. 16, 2010 to July 15 of the same year. He added that a second extension was made on July 16, 2010 until Jan. 15, 2011.

Another extension was made on Jan. 16 this year until July 15.

Osmeña said Oliva should already be transferred, in accordance with DOF Personnel Order 335-2003, which only allows two extensions for an OIC city treasurer.

But Osmeña, former Cebu City mayor, told reporters during a dinner with the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor last night that he asked for Oliva’s transfer because of anomalies at City Hall that were not present during his administration.

Controversies

He said he asked for Oliva’s extension when he was mayor because he found her “aggressive.”

But now, he said, there are several controversies like buying Christmas lights without bidding.

Osmeña and Rama had a falling-out. Rama earlier left the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, a group formed by the congressman.

Meanwhile, Osmeña announced that those whose employment contracts at City Hall had not been renewed by Rama will be hired by PCUP.

He said there are 25 job vacancies in PCUP for a project that will run until 2013.

Designation

Last July 14, Maria Presentacion Montesa, executive director of the Bureau of Local Government Finance of the DOF, informed Rama that Pu-risima had disapproved his requests for Oliva’s extension.

The DOF designated assistant city treasurer for operations Tessie Camarillo as OIC city treasurer.

“I hope (DOF) Manila will be circumspect enough to think that we are a government where there is such a thing as respect for one’s authority,” Rama said.

Oliva’s next assignment is reportedly Mandaue City where her son Regal is acting treasurer.

Regal said he will gladly step down for his mother, whom he believes will do a better job in managing Mandaue’s finances.

But he said he does not want to serve in the same local government as his mother.