Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has dismissed accusations that public funds were realigned for livelihood programs as a ploy to influence the 2025 midterm elections. Garcia asserts that the budget for these programs has been in place since previous administrations and that the current implementation is funded through allocations approved during the Michael Rama administration. Councilor Nestor Archival, who is running against Garcia in the upcoming elections, claims that P120 million intended for parks and playgrounds and P125 million earmarked for the Ecopark project were diverted to pay job order personnel distributing P5,000 each to 9,000 livelihood beneficiaries. Archival views this as “technical malversation” and alleges it is a tactic to buy votes. Garcia counters that budget realignment requires council approval and that Archival would have been aware of it.
CEBU City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has denied allegations that public funds were realigned for livelihood programs to serve as a political tool ahead of the midterm elections on May 12, 2025. Garcia said in a press conference on Monday, Jan. 27, that the budget for livelihood programs has existed since the administrations of the late mayor Edgardo Labella and dismissed mayor Michael Rama. The local chief executive clarified that there was no budgetary realignment but only implementation.
“This misuse of taxpayer’s money serves no genuine purpose and undermines public trust,” he added.The councilor is running for mayor in the upcoming elections against Garcia, Rama, Yogi Filemon Ruiz and Julieto Co. Garcia said realigning a budget requires council approval.“He would’ve known,” he said. RequestArchival requested the City Treasurer’s Office to investigate the alleged fund transfers.
ELECTIONS VOTE BUYING BUDGET REALIGNMENT LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMS PHILIPPINE POLITICS
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