CEBU CITY, Philippines (PNA) -- Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has ordered the removal of the pictures and names of politicians from government programs, projects and properties in the city.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has sent a memorandum circular to Mayor Rama to act on the directive of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III that prohibits the practice.

Rama said that since he assumed office last year, he has never engaged in such a practice in all City-funded projects and programs.

“When I came in, I told them I don’t like the projects to bear names of officials. What I included is ‘Cebu City Government, together we can make things happen,’” Rama said.

But he said there are city-owned vehicles, particularly the Kaoshiung buses donated by Kaoshiung City in Taiwan, which are still bearing the pictures of city officials of the previous administration, including his face, being the vice mayor then.

Rama said he directed City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete to coordinate with other City Hall departments to act on the DILG circular.

Poblete said he sent a memorandum to all City officials and department heads to comply with the DILG directive.

He will task City Engineer Kenneth Enriquez and engineer Rolando Ardoza of the General Services Office to monitor the compliance.

Last year, the City Council, through Councilor Jose Daluz III, approved a resolution expressing support for the immediate passage of Senate Bill 2187 of Sen. Francis Escudero.

Escudero’s bill penalizes government officials who will “label or acknowledge the procurement of items with their names or identities as if the projects or items were personally funded,” when taxpayers’ money was used.

Under the bill, government officials whose names are found on government projects will be imprisoned for one year and will be fined P100,000 to P1,000,000, depending on the amount of the project.

Second-time offenders will be disqualified from public office.