No need for Rama, Nato to leave Sinulog Foundation

AS City Hall found a way to release aid to the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI) without violating the rules, Vice Mayor Michael Rama said he should not be pressured into resigning until a ruling is out.

Rama said that he would not resign yet from his post as SFI chairman until the Commission on Audit (COA) releases a decision, and will do so only as a last resort.

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Unlike the mayor, Rama does not believe that his resignation is the solution to the City’s problem with a COA rule that prohibits them from extending cash assistance to SFI for the Sinulog 2010 celebration.

In an interview yesterday, he said there are other ways of addressing the problem, one of which is for the City to disburse the funds directly to the winning contingents, instead of coursing it through the foundation.

The procedure on how the Cebu City Government can release its P12.5 million in financial assistance to the SFI without violating auditing rules has been threshed out yesterday.

The amount, said SFI executive director Ricky Ballesteros, will be given through cash advance, and those who will do so have already been identified.

He, Rama and City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva met yesterday afternoon to come up with the procedure as a contingency measure because the COA has not exempted yet the SFI from COA Circular 2007-0001.

The circular prohibits any local government unit from giving aid to any NGO whose incorporator, director, organizer or officer is related to any local official involved in the approval or release of government funds.

But Rama also pointed out that it is not only him who has to resign but also SFI president Renato Osmeña.

“Why should I resign when COA has not made a decision yet? And if I am the only one who will resign, that will not solve anything. The solution is not resignation but for COA to recognize that the Sinulog Foundation should not be punished,” he said.

Last Monday, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the only way the City can give the financial assistance to SFI is if Rama resigns from the foundation.

Rama will fly to Manila on Thursday for the COA en banc’s meeting, where they are scheduled to deliberate on the City Government’s request for exemption from the COA circular.

“Until COA makes a decision, no one should be pressured to resign, otherwise mura tag nahadlok sa COA,” he continued.

City Administrator Francisco Fernandez and Councilor Jose Daluz III, chairman of the City Council committee on budget and finance, said they don’t see any problem releasing the cash prizes as cash advances if COA refuses to grant the request.

“I would not advice that they resign. If COA says that we can’t give the money to the foundation, then we’ll find a way. Cebu City can be a co-host and co-organizer and we can disburse the funds directly, wala na’y problema,” said Fernandez.

He said they would just assign a disbursing officer and prepare the vouchers in time for the awarding ceremony on Jan. 18.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Police Office Director Patrocinio Comendador said all security needs for the Sinulog Grand Parade and preliminary activities are in place.

With 150 additional personnel, Comendador said their first activity will be for Thursday dawn’s Walk for Mary.

With around 1,000 police officers, he said they will keep 20 percent of the force in the stations while 80 percent will be deployed to secure the procession and the grand parade.

He also said a relieving system is in place so they can maintain the number of security forces at night, especially during street parties that will be held after the grand parade.

“We are ready to roll,” Comendador told reporters.

He said they based their plans on their existing forces but will treat additional forces from other police units as “a bonus.”

A final conference will be held at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 on Friday to brief other units of their roles on the big day.

Comendador believes other units will be made to conduct checkpoints in the outskirts of Cebu City to arrest persons planning to pull off petty crimes during the parade.

After the parade, Comendador said they have a patrol car tailing the last performer to clear the streets of revelers right after the last performance.

He noted that in the past, the streets remained crowded because of outdoor parties that police teams that had to respond for calls for assistance could not pass.

Comendador said they need to keep the streets cleared for emergencies.

However, he assured they will not stop crowds from staying in the sidewalks.