Mayor, council tussle on Eruf funds
By Dale G. Israel
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 14:43:00 06/23/2008
Mandaue City, Philippines – Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes on Sunday voiced his frustration over the City Council's refusal to allocate P1.5 million in annual funding for the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF).
The mayor reacted to a statement by opposition Councilor Victor Biaņo, who said the P1.5-million allocation will run afoul of Commission on Audit (COA) rules prohibiting donations to relatives of officials.
The councilor pointed out that the foundation's director Hermie Cortes is the mayor's brother. The Mandaue City Council is run by councilors loyal to former Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano.
But the mayor said his brother's presence is irrelevant since Mandaue City was donating funds to non-government organizations (NGOs) like the Mantawi foundation chaired by former Mandaue Mayor Ouano.
“The office of the Mayor (then under Ouano) is the address of the Mantawi Foundation and we have been giving it P5 million every year for a single day event, for five years now. I can't believe why they can shell out just P1.5 million for the Eruf,” Cortes said.
He said the P1.5 million-aid to Eruf would be cost-effective, sparing the city from purchases and maintenance of ambulances and firetrucks.
Cortes said the Eruf is important because it handles emergency rescues.
“Di nako makita ang ilahang tanaw ba, manghatag ta ug five million para gasto-on sa usa ka adlaw pero di ta kahatag sa Eruf, unsa naman na uy (I can't see their views on this, they give five million pesos to spend for one day but they can't give to Eruf what's that all about), Eruf services are important maybe Eruf might save his (Biaņo) own life,” Cortes told Cebu Daily News.
The mayor said even opposition Vice-Mayor Carlo Fortuna admitted he will definitely call Eruf rather than other rescue services.
Cortes earlier disclosed that the Netherlands would donate a fire truck to Mandaue City provided the Eruf set up its own base.
Cortes called on the council to accredit the popular rescue group which transferred to Cebu City from Mandaue after Ouano became mayor in the 80s.
Eruf was founded by the late Mayor Demetrio Cortes.
**grabeha paugatay ani oi...kagahi ba ani mga konsehala..mga bogok!




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