Barug councilors get 23 of 25 committees

CEBU, Philippines — After dominating the 15th Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council), the councilors of the Partido Barug-PDP-Laban are now handling 23 committees.

Apart from the ex-officio members, other Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) councilors were not given chairmanships during the annual organizational session yesterday.

Two committees are handled by ex-officio members Franklyn Ong and Jessica Resch, these are the committee on barangay affairs and the committee on youth and sports development, respectively.

Partido Barug-PDP-Laban got the majority bloc following the declaration of support by councilors David Tumulak and Jerry Guardo for the administration.

With this, the composition in the City Council is 9-9 in favor of the administration councilors because Vice Mayor Michael Rama is with the Partido Barug-PDP-Laban.

The Partido Barug-PDP-Laban councilors are Prisca Niña Mabatid, Raymond Alvin Garcia, Donaldo Hontiveros, Phillip Zafra, Renato Osmeña Jr., Eduardo Rama Jr., and Antonio Cuenco.

Even though Tumulak and Guardo have yet to declare their party affiliation, they are already being considered as part of the group.

Aside from Resch and Ong, other BOPK councilors are Nestor Archival, Sisinio Andales, Alvin Dizon, Joy Augustus Young, Lea Japson, Raul Alcoseba, and Eugenio Gabuya Jr.

The presiding officer will handle the committee on health, hospital services and sanitation; committee on tourism, arts and culture; committee on sister cities relations and big brother program; and committee on environment and natural resources.

Garcia will sit as chairman for the committee on budget and finance; committee on housing, committee on laws, ordinances and styling; and committee on agriculture and rural development.

Rama will head the committee on information and technology, committee on social services; and committee on public services.

Guardo will head the committee on labor, employment, cooperative and livelihood; and committee on infrastructure.

Osmeña will head the committee on trade, commerce and entrepreneurship; and committee on markets.

Zafra will head the committee on urban planning; committee on public order; and committee on house rules; and the oversight committee.

Tumulak will head the committee on disaster risk reduction management, safety and climate change adaptation.

Cuenco will head the committee on education science and technology; and committee on transportation, communication, energy and other utilities.

Hontiveros will head the committee on scholarship program and committee on games and amusements. Mabatid will head the committee on women and family affairs.

Garcia, the majority floor leader, said the opposition reportedly declined the offer for chairmanships and memberships in their previous meetings.

That is why they came up with the decision to handle most of the standing committees.

Archival said they conceded that they are now the minority because of the manifestation of Tumulak and Guardo to support the administration.

“Yes (concede), I think we are already in the minority…We understand sa ilahang gihimo and we have no committees actually. But I would say sa amoang grupo, we can always help the city through legislations,” he said.

When asked whether or not the vice mayor is allowed to head committees, Garcia said there is no prohibition under the existing house rules.

In fact, under letter (i) of Section 3, powers and duties of the presiding officer includes “performing other duties and exercise such other powers as may be given to him/her from time to time, by the Legislative Body and by the Local Government Code.”

Rama shared the same opinion of Garcia, saying he is not barred from handling committees.

Meanwhile, Guardo is contemplating returning to the Partido Barug-PDP- Laban, formerly known as Team Rama. He took his oath of office before Mayor Edgardo Labella yesterday. (FREEMAN)