Council bestows legislative award on assistant treasurer

Thursday, February 23, 2012

THE Cebu City Council decided to release its Legislative Award yesterday, two days ahead of the celebration of the city’s 75th Charter Day.

After its regular session, the legislative body handed to Assistant City Treasurer for Operations Tessie Camarillo her Legislative Award “for upholding her duties and responsibilities” during the deliberation of the City’s 2012 budget.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

Only Camarillo was given the award, though, as City Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa asked that his school—the Asian College of Technology (ACT)—be excluded from the awardees.

Camarillo thanked the council, saying it is her first award after 12 years of service at City Hall.

Abellanosa delivered a privilege speech yesterday that hit at City Mayor Michael Rama for excluding ACT and Camarillo among the 75th Charter Day awardees.

On Jan. 24, the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (Chac) issued a resolution endorsing 12 nominees—including Camarillo and ACT—to the award. Chac’s endorsement was supported by a City Council resolution.

But, Abellanosa said, Rama defied Chac’s endorsement and removed Camarillo and ACT from the list of awardees due to “unwritten policies and practices.”

“This is not the first time we have seen his (Rama) brand of what I call unorthodox democracy with veiled autocracy,” said the councilor, also president of the ACT.

Rama said in a separate interview that the list of awardees, which was made by Chac on Feb. 10 and submitted to the council on Feb. 15, was not final as it did not have his approval.

As have been done in the past, he said, Chac recommends awardees for Charter Day and gets the approval of the mayor before endorsing the list to the council.

Meeting

Rama said he called Chac officials, including Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young as chairman and Councilor Margot Osmeña, to a meeting on Feb. 14 to finalize the list of awardees but both did not show up.

During the meeting, he said, Chac adopted a resolution for the final list of awardees for the Charter Day. These awardees included four outstanding individuals, five outstanding institutions, one posthumous award and 10 special awards.

The final list, he added, had his approval.

Young said they did not attend the meeting because it was not Chac’s regular meeting but a special meeting.

Abellanosa said Chac’s original resolution should be respected.

He said there was precedence where institutions involving city officials got awards.

He cited the Cebu Institute of Technology whose dean was then city councilor Arsenio Pacaña.

He said in 2009, the vice mayor Rama endorsed Bee TV as awardee for airing a program on the City Council.

But Rama told the Abellanosa not to count past favors. “Let them be cautious of their statements,” he added.