Kaban ni D_BystandeR: ANG KADAUT DALA SA LINOG GIPAHIMUDSAN???

Our Cebu City officials are found to be very resourceful at helping themselves by successfully passing a resolution appropriating P84.5M and distributed to each one of them (city officials and employees) at P20,000 each as "calamity aid." The October 8/13 earthquake (7.2 magnitude) devastated Bohol with about 200 lives lost and Super-typhoon Yolanda caused monstrous disaster (with more than 6,300 lives lost) to Tacloban City and northern Cebu towns, but thanks to our patron saint Sto. Nino, Cebu City was spared of major damage. But who can prevent them to help themselves with "people's money" making the twin disasters to justify it? It's good somebody in the person of lawyer R.  Delute has taken the challenge to file a case  in the Office of the President questioning the legal basis for such kind of "calamity assistance." If most of the city residents were able to accept it without any complaint but to themselves alone, how much more for them who are receiving their monthly salaries as City Hall officials and employees? It would seem the playing field was not fairly made that it would appear those working in the City Hall are more fortunate than the others because aside from receiving their "take home pay" they still have to receive a lot of goodies in the form of "calamity assistance?!"

Footnote: This comment came out in connection with a Cebu Daily News headline, "Labella rallies councilors amid Palace probe." Vice Mayor Labella rallied his colleagues in the City Council not to be afraid of the present case they are facing. They are charged with "fabricating a calamity" wherein city officials used as basis to release the P20T calamity assistance to each employee and city official last December 2013. The Office of the President has directed Mayor Rama and 12 of the16 councilors to reply to the grave misconduct and abuse of authority complaint against them. Labella said the council is preparing a joint reply to Delute's complaint which they will submit before the July 16 deadline. Exempted from the charge by Delute were councilors Margot Osmena, Leah Japson, Richie Osmena and James Cuenco. Mayor Rama, Labella said, will be sending his own reply as city mayor.