Tuesday, April 01, 2008 VMLP presidency a chance to share Cebu City’s best practices: Rama
IF he wins in the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP) election, Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama said it will be an opportunity for the City Government to share its best practices with other local government units (LGUs) across the country.
Rama said becoming league president is not about what he or the City can get from the position, but what he and the City can contribute to the league and other LGUs.
“It’s not about us getting anything but it’s about us sharing what we have in terms of best practices. We hope to provide capability building that will promote accountability and transparency. If we can accomplish that, then we would be expanding better governance elsewhere,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
In a news conference yesterday, Rama said he hopes the VMLP officers and secretariat would adhere to what they all agreed on during a meeting in Manila last Friday.
Department
Among other things, the officers pointed out the risk in allowing the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) officials to intervene in the elections on April 18.
The league officers agreed that other than DILG’s Bureau of Local Government Development Director Rolly Acosta, no other DILG official will be allowed to sit in the body that will facilitate the league election.
Rama said they learned from the previous elections of VMLP and other leagues that were tainted with cheating allegations when the DILG intervened.
The DILG is also reportedly endorsing the candidacy of certain individuals running for different league positions.
Ideally, the DILG’s involvement in league elections should be limited to overseeing election activities, and they should not be allowed to campaign for or endorse any candidate, the vice mayor said.
“I don’t want to be discourteous or impolite but I told them last Friday that if I see or if I find out that there are other DILG officials who will be there during the election, I will ask them to leave the venue,” he continued.
Capacity
If he defeats his lone opponent, Antipolo City Mayor Danilo Leyble, Rama said he will share with other vice mayors the excellence Cebu City Government has been cited for, its best practices and capability building in promoting transparency and accountability.
He would also share with other vice mayors the City’s big brother program, where the City helps smaller cities or municipalities with their development and projects. (LCR)
