CEBU, Philippines - An administration councilor in Talisay City yesterday negated reports that the administration party has distanced itself from a councilor-elect whose presence is making some party-mates insecure.
“Mga estorya ra man na. Wala pa gani mi nagsabot. We will still meet hopefully after June 15 to discuss about it,” said City Councilor Rodi Cabigas, who was re-elected for his third and final term last May 10 elections.
Cabigas’s statement came after reports that Councilor-elect Val Ylanan won’t get a single committee chairmanship, while the rest of his party-mates will get at least two, have been reverberating in the four corners of the city hall.
But Cabigas said these were just “all talk” since even he has no committee yet as of yesterday. He said they still have to meet after June 15 and “most probably” they will divide among themselves the committees.
Only two opposition bets made it to the council: Councilors-elect Danilo Caballero and Romeo Villarante.
Cabigas admitted that it was only during the May 11 proclamation at the city hall when they met with the old and new councilors. He said the meetings they had so far especially with first district Rep. Eduardo Gullas, head of Alayon Party which backed the administration candidates last election, were meant only for the incumbents.
There are four new councilors in the group of which one is Ylanan.
Reports have it that Ylanan will be the only administration councilor not to get all the benefits associated with being in the group.
An administration councilor usually holds at least two council committee chairmanships and gets to endorse 20 temporary or “job order” employees to the city hall.
Allegedly Ylanan made what his fellow administration councilors termed as a “mistake” during the last elections which was reportedly blamed for the defeat of two of their fellow candidates, Association Barangay Councils president Osmundo Manreal Jr. and outgoing City Councilor Ronnie Capala.
The reports did not however clarify what this “mistake” was, but Cabigas said those were just “pure hearsays,” as there are no reasons why they would junk someone from their own team.
Cabigas, who ranked number 2, said he believes that the last election was “orderly,” and that what happened to Manreal and Capala was that the people had spoken.
“We all prayed that all of us would make it, but that was the people’s mandate there, wala na tay mahimo kung mao na ang mahitabo,” Cabigas said.
Ranking is also reportedly a big issue in his team, but Cabigas only shrugged it off and said he does not even care if he gets the last post as long as he made it.
“Personally, I am happy where I am. I should be, kay number 2 na ko ron, number 4 baya ko sa una. Pero bisag number 10 pa ko, I should also be glad for it kay bisag unsa pa imong number, basta na-elect na ka, you are still part of the council, you still get the same benefits, so nganong magsakit man imong dughan kung dili ka ma-number one?” he said.
The four new councilors: Eduardo “Digul” Gullas III, Ylanan, Choy Aznar, and Semmy Cabuenas have taken the first, third, fifth and sixth spots, respectively.
This reportedly caused some of the incumbents who got higher ratings in the survey but ended up in the tail end of the actual vote counts insecure.
For his part, city administrator Richel Bacaltos, who was the party’s campaign chief, said the group has not yet divided the council committees among themselves as it is yet “too early” for it. (FREEMAN NEWS)