Outgoing City Council crafted 67 new laws

CEBU, Philippines — Sixty-seven ordinances and over 4,600 resolutions were passed by the 14th Sangguniang Panlungsod of Cebu City from 2016 to 2019.

City Councilor Eugenio Gabuya, Jr. had the most number of approved ordinances among the 18 city legislators.

Gabuya authored 15 ordinances, followed by Councilor Sisinio Andales with 12 ordinances, Councilor Margarita Osmeña (nine), Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera (eight), Councilor David Tumulak (seven), Councilor Joel Garganera (six), and Councilor Alvin Arcilla (three).

Councilor Joy Augustus Young authored two ordinances, while Councilors Pastor Alcover, Jr., Jose Daluz III, Mary Ann de los Santos, Eduardo Rama, Jr., and ex-officio member Phillip Zafra authored one ordinance each.

Among the approved ordinances were the granting of protection to any species of sharks, stingrays, and other marine wildlife within the jurisdiction of the city (Rama); Animal Welfare Ordinance of Cebu City (Andales and Margarita); and An Ordinance amending the granting of P12,000 aid for senior citizens from 2010 to 2013 (Gabuya), among others.

On the other hand, resigned councilor Nendell Hanz Abella, dismissed and reinstated councilor James Anthony Cuenco, former councilor Erik Espina, who replaced Cuenco for six months, Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia, suspended and reinstated councilor Jerry Guardo, Renato Osmeña Jr., Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Jessica Resch, and Association of Barangay Councils President Franklyn Ong failed to author an ordinance.

As for the 4,652 resolutions, Margarita had the most number of resolutions approved with 807, followed by Andales with 642, Gabuya with 498, Pesquera with 448, Garcia with 339, De los Santos with 269, Guardo with 267, Tumulak with 243, Abella with 209, Arcilla with 208, Garganera with 176, Daluz with 132, Young with 91, Alcover with 80, Zafra with 68, Resch with 62, Ong with 39, Cuenco with 30, Rama with 24, Junjun with 17, and Espina with 3.

Moreover, only Andales recorded perfect attendance from 2016 to 2019. The council had 116 regular sessions.

He was given recognition by outgoing Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella during the adjournment of the 14th Sangguniang Panlungsod last Tuesday.

Labella, who will assume as city mayor next week, said several things happened during the past three years.

He was referring to the suspension of two councilors, and the resignation of Abella, who was appointed as commissioner in the 7th Division of the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) under the Department of Labor and Employment 7, among others.

But Labella said the political skirmishes and their individual differences did not affect the efficiency of the city councilors.

“I am thankful to have worked with some good and great minds and dedicated public servants during my stint as their presiding officer of the City Council,” he told The FREEMAN. (FREEMAN)