Biaño cries foul

CEBU, Philippines - A Mandaue City councilor has described his colleagues’ move to adjourn the session as he arrived at the session hall last Tuesday as unwarranted.

Based on the record of the SP secretariat, the session started at around 2:20 p.m. but was adjourned ten minutes after just as Councilor Victor Biaño had arrived.

It was Councilor Noeleen Borbajo who moved for the adjournment and carried by Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna, the presiding officer.

Councilor Victor Biaño asked for reconsideration since he wanted a proposed resolution he had authored discussed.

He had proposed giving authority to Mayor Jonas Cortes to release one half of the amount intended for senior citizens so that they could somehow help in the expenses for the graduation of their grandchildren.

Based on the secretariat’s records, Fortuna moved for the deferment of the proposal until the arrival of its proponent.

But the session was adjourned when Biaño arrived.

Fortuna wanted the session to proceed but he wanted Councilor Editha Cabahug who had left earlier back in the session hall.

But the person who was sent to look for Cabahug failed to find her.

So further discussions were called off.

Cabahug, an opposition councilor, in an interview with reporters said Biaño should not complain about the early adjournment of the session as all items in the agenda which included 18 current items and four informative matters were all discussed.

The council was also able to adopt a City Disasters Coordinating Council resolution which declared sitio Aroma in barangay Subangdaku as a calamity area.

Councilor Emiliano Rosal also said most of the items were referred to the committees.

Rosal said if the session was re-opened, he would manifest his objection to Biaño’s resolution considering that a resolution cannot amend an existing ordinance.

“I am not against the giving of additional benefits to senior citizens. It is just that a resolution cannot amend an ordinance. Let’s put everything in legal perspective,” Rosal said.

There is already an ordinance, approved last February 25, which increases the benefits of senior citizens from P500 to P2,000. However, this will be released in two batches wherein P1,000 will be given in June and the other P1,000 will be received in December.

However, Biaño for his part said the council could have easily converted a resolution to an ordinance which was practiced in the past.

“It look likes the opposition agreed in its caucus to adjourn as soon as possible to avoid taking up items which they feel will increase the political stock of the Mayor,” Biaño said.

Biaño alleged that it only seemed that the opposition councilors just do not want to take up the reports of the committee on laws which he chaired which recommends for the ratification of the various infrastructure programs.

When sought for comment over last Tuesday’s session, Mayor Jonas Cortes said there was maneuvering on the part of the opposition councilors, considering that all of them were also absent during the March 9 session wherein one of the items in the agenda at that time was to adopt a City Development Council (CDC) resolution that will re-align P37 million in the Annual Investment Plan to road rehabilitation in the city.

Each barangay in the city were supposed to receive P1 million from the AIP and P10 million in surplus from the construction of approaches in the newly inaugurated Cabancalan-Canduman bridge was another thing to consider.

But during the monthly meeting of the City Development Council, barangay captains decided to instead re-align the funds for the rehabilitation of roads.

Cortes said he called for a special session last Thursday but he was told that they were attending a Philippine Councilors League (PCL) meeting.

But Rosal said that when Cortes called for a special session last week it did not conform with the 24 hour-rule which provides that prior notice should sent a day before a session was to be held.

But Biano said a special session can still be done on a Friday.

“Sa ilang gibuhat sila nay manubag sa katawhan ana,” Cortes said.   (FREEMAN NEWS)