Saturday, November 08, 2008 Tomas wants to give P1M as ‘equalizer fund’
MAYOR Tomas Osme-ña has tasked the Cebu City Council to submit a proposal for City Hall to enter into an agreement with the Supreme Court (SC) and give P1 million as “equalizer fund” to serves as buffer for judges who lose their allowances.
This is his response to Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s “intimidating judges in canceling their allowances.”
“Cebu City is embarrassed that we have a local executive that is behaving like this. So we will try to be part of the solution, not part of the problem,” the mayor said.
He returned to Cebu last Wednesday after seeking medical treatment in the US to deliver his State of the City Address (Soca) this afternoon at the Cebu City Sports Center.
He, however, will leave for the US tomorrow to continue his treatment for his urinary bladder cancer, which includes chemotherapy.
The mayor said the amount will “establish an equalizer fund, which will be under the supervision of the SC” for Central Visayas judges, of whom those assigned in Cebu City will be prioritized.
He, however, said it is up to the SC whom to support using the fund.
Deplore
“The whole point is we deplore the action of the governor in trying to intimidate judges, in canceling their allowances,” he said.
Barili Regional Trial Court Judge Leopoldo Cañete recently lost his P6,000 monthly stipend from the Capitol, allegedly following his handling of a case that involved the Provincial Government.
The stipend was cut allegedly at the same time that Cebu City RTC Judge Bienvenido Saniel lost his allowance from Capitol.
Osmeña said that for the judges to recoup their lost stipends, the SC could tap the amount the City will donate as replacement honoraria.
He said the proposal for the SC to enter into an agreement with the City does not entail the High Court to provide a counterpart amount.
“We just want to show the SC that not all local executives are as vindictive as Gov. Gwen,” he said, adding that the City will continue assisting the courts in some other ways.
In the past, the City has donated equipment and provided funds in the renovation of court salas and judges’ chambers.
He said giving the amount is a “better solution and more affordable” compared to the plan to provide vehicles to judges.
He believes Capitol is going after the judges for their decisions that were unfavorable to the Province.
“Obviously, it is a very specific act and too much of a coincidence,” the mayor said. (RHM)
