Shirley Belleza filed most number of measures in previous city council

CEBU, Philippines - She may not get the post she was promised, but former Talisay City Councilor Shirley Belleza had proven that she did her job as legislator taking into account that she owns the distinction of having the most number of resolutions and ordinances filed in the last council.

 A resolution commending Belleza states that she had “formulated effective legislation with her 29 remarkable ordinances and 248 resolutions approved.”

 Other outgoing councilors such as Ronnie Capala, Ben Abatayo, Serrie Restauro, and Arturo Bas also got the same recognition from the

council during its closing session last week.

 Bas, chairman on council committee on appropriation, budget and accounts, followed Belleza with 40 ordinances and 180 resolutions adopted, while Abatayo, the committee chairman on transportation and public utilities chief endorsed seven approved ordinances and 27 resolutions.

 Restauro, meanwhile, sponsored 32 resolutions; while Capala, who lost in his reelection bid, filed three ordinances and eight resolutions.

 Belleza, who served the city for three consecutive terms, authored the Anti-Exploitation of Women, Children’s Welfare Code, Anti-Domestic Violence Ordinance,  Basic Obstetric Care (BEmOC), adopting the TB-DOTS Strategy manual of the National TB Control Program and the giving of incentives of barangay health workers.

 She was chairman on the committees on Tourism, Cultural Heritage and International Affairs and Women, Family and Children.

 Belleza was supposed to add two more major ordinances: the Gender and Development (GAD), which is supposedly for the protection and rights of the city’s women and children and an ordinance adding incentives to the BHWs.

 But these were laid on the table a number of times following some friction with the council after she refused to pledge allegiance to her party’s vice mayoralty candidate.

 At the height of the campaign period, Belleza decided to campaign for her husband, former vice mayor Aberdovey, Liberal Party’s bet to the vice mayoralty post.

 It was Bucao of the administration camp who won the post.

 A reliable source who refused to be named said Belleza was supposed to be hired as either consultant to reelected Mayor Socrates Fernandez for population or Public Information, as long she would stay with the party throughout the campaign period.

 But with what had happened, the source said it is “unlikely” that she would get either post.

Bas has already been picked to become the PIO. – THE FREEMAN