Reshuffling granted amid protest

CEBU, Philippines - The reorganization of the chairmanship of the 24 committees at the Talisay City Council has been approved despite a councilor's protest over an alleged "grave abuse" of the ruling majority.

City Councilor Dennis Basillote, who belongs to the minority bloc, expressed his desire to chair the committees on education and urban planning and development, which he has chaired for two terms already.

"I oppose on the reorganization of the committees kay ang ilang gibuhat abuso na kana. Grabe kaayo ang pag-abuso sa majority," Basillote accused the majority bloc dominated by Alayon party members.

Basillote said the alleged move of the Alayon to strip him of chairmanship is aimed at blocking the mayor's implementation of the city's projects.

There are 11 members of the city council excluding the vice mayor, who is the presiding officer. Of the 11, there are seven who belong to the majority, while four belong to the minority, namely Councilors Aldin Diaz, Valeriano Ylanan, Basillote and Danilo Caballero.

Of the members, only three voted for the objection on the reorganization of the committees. They were Ylanan, Caballero and Basillote.

But only Basillote had no single committee chairmanship after he declined to accept the committees on senior citizen and international affairs and relations while Caballero and Ylanan voted against the reorganization but accepted the two committees given to them.

Caballero holds the committees on games and amusements, and market and slaughterhouse, while Ylanan holds the committee on parks and playground; senior citizen and international affairs and relations.

During the council session, City Councilor Socrates Fernandez explained that the committee reshuffle was agreed as prompted by the entry of the new ex-officio member of the SP representing the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) and the termination of the ex-officio seat for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) federation.

Fernandez said that in any democratic system of government, the will of the majority will always prevail.

"The chairmanships and membership of some committees were vacated due to the postponement and expiration of the term of other members of the council. Such vacancy calls for the reorganization of the standing committees to better serve the people of Talisay and to ensure the continued delivery of the social services and expertise of each respective committees," Fernandez said in his resolution.

Majority floor leader Richard Francis Aznar said that Basillote cannot claim of any abuse on the part of the majority bloc because all members of the council were given two committees.

"If moingon siya nga naay unfair, tanan man ang gihatagan og committees, siya ra man ang mi-decline pagdawat," Aznar said.

Chairmanships could be changed in the 24 standing committees, including the committee on laws now being chaired by Fernandez. It was formerly chaired by Aznar.

The politically-sensitive barangay affairs committee, previously chaired by former ABC president Charles Basillote, is now handled by ABC president Raul Cabañero.

Except for the protective services committee, the composition of the rest of the standing committees was not affected. Councilor Edward Alesna remains chairman on the appropriations.

"I have no objection and I am for reorganization. It was a fair distribution of the committees and I see no bias on the part of the Alayon," Diaz said. (FREEMAN)