Tuesday, September 23, 2008 Tomas OK needed for split budget
REP. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south) may have to go on with his plan to submit a bill asking Congress to split Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City into two and appropriate a budget for the plebiscite after all.
Vice Mayor Michael Rama said the initiative to reenact an ordinance setting aside P100,000 for the plebiscite should come from the executive, as the role of the City Council is just to approve it.
He said City Councilor Richard Osmeña is willing to sponsor the measure, but the budget proposal should come from the executive department.
Cuenco earlier said that aside from splitting a barangay into two by filing a bill in the House of Representatives, the City Council could enact an ordinance to that effect by
setting a plebiscite.
On Dec. 18, 1996, during the Garcia administration, the then city council approved Ordinance 1661, which divided Barangay Guadalupe, “defining and delineating the boundaries of the subdivision, setting up and providing resources and assistance to the emerging new barangay on its initial corporate existence.”
It set the plebiscite on March 3, 1997, which was reset to May 6, 2000 after an amending resolution was approved on March 15, 2000.
The plebiscite, though, did not push through.
Postponement
Cuenco had said politics made him agree to the postponement and eventual shelving of the plan to have a new barangay to be named Banawa-Englis.
He had said that while politics has also played a role on his supporting the move, he has realized that the people of Banawa and Englis are indeed being neglected by Guadalupe officials, which Barangay Captain Eugenio Faelnar denied.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña has criticized Cuenco for reviving the proposal and particularly cited the haste with which the congressman came up with.
In an interview, Rama wondered if the mayor will approve of the appropriation, adding that they will have to talk it over with the other members of the Bando Osmeña
Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).
“Depende na kay ang appropriation gikan na sa executive (department). Igo ra mi pag-approve ana. Kinahanglan na estoryahan as a group. Kung wala man gani sa side sa City Government, then congress has to come in.
Cuenco could not be reached for comment as of press time last night.
As this develops, the mayor said Ronald Cuenco has all the freedom to revive his political career, but it would depend on the circumstances if he will still be welcomed by the BO-PK, to which the younger Cuenco was a member when he became city councilor for three terms starting in 1991.
Cuenco earlier said that while Ronald is contented with his life in the US right now, his son might return to join politics again.
“Is he coming in on his own or under the instruction of his father? If he is under the instructions of his father, he is not Ronald Cuenco, he is a representative of his father,” the mayor said.
He mentioned Councilor Richard Osmeña, whom he said showed interest in joining politics, not at the behest of his cousin and former vice mayor Renato Osmeña but on his own volition. (RHM)
