Cebu City Council Reorganization: Minority declines nominations

CEBU, Philippines — Yesterday’s reorganizational session of the 16th Cebu City Council concluded with committee seats being filled up again by majority members and minority members declining nominations.

Also, because he is now the acting mayor, Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia’s chairmanship of two committees were taken over by city councilors, who were the vice chairman of the said committees.

Following the session, City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera retained her position as majority floor leader, with City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco as assistant majority floor Leader and City Councilor Philip Zafra as second assistant majority floor leader.

City Councilor Nestor Archival, Sr. also remained as minority floor leader with City Councilor Joy Augustus Young as assistant minority floor leader.

With the majority councilors holding all committee chairmanships, City Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos, who is allied with the minority, was nominated as member of the Committee on Youth and Sports Development.

She, however, declined the nomination, saying that she was a member of the same committee but was not included in the committee meetings and discussions.

“I was a member of this committee last year, and I do not want, for the record, to be a do-nothing member. I was not even for once, invited to any consultation, to any meeting, or to anything,” de los Santos said.

She, however, expressed her willingness to extend her service should it be needed.

City Councilor Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa, also of the minority, likewise declined his nomination as member of the Committee on Labor, Employment, Cooperative and Livelihood, citing “personal” reasons.

In the same session, 16th Sangguniang Panglungsod also reported that it approved 4,203 resolutions and enacted 90 ordinances from June 2023 to June 2024.

Before the election of committee memberships and chairmanships, the city councilors also highlighted their significant contributions.

City Councilor Philip Zafra, peace and order committee chairman, mentioned the acquisition of new police cars and the intent to finish the construction of a new Cebu City Police Office building.

City Councilor Pastor Alcover, Jr., who is still the chairman of the committee on senior citizen’s affairs, said he received complaints on discounts that were not honored, while City Councilor Renato Osmeña, Jr., who retained his position as committee on markets chairman, considered the “Market Code” as his major contribution.

“It helped a lot…. We have also improved our collections,” said Osmeña.

For Cuenco, his notable achievement is the passage of the Disaster Resiliency Ordinance, which prepares the public for future calamities.

De los Santos also takes pride in the passage of the ordinance creating the Barangay Behavioral Unit. —/RHM (FREEMAN)