Guardo
Cebu City Councilor Jerry Guardo is back at City Hall.
With his return, the Bando Osmeña–Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) bloc of Mayor Tomas Osmeña can now pursue earlier plans for the City Council reorganization and regain chairmanship of the different committees.
“That (City Council reorganization) is given and automatic. They (BO-PK councilors) were just waiting for me to be officially reinstated. The reorganization is near. I think by July. As to the committee assignments, we have not discussed yet what committees each of us will be assigned to,” Guardo said.
Lawyer Rene Burdeos, head of the Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7), issued a May 29, 2017 memorandum for the reinstatement of Guardo’s official duties and functions as city councilor.
A copy of the memo was received at his City Hall office on Thursday.
Guardo was earlier meted with a three-month suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas after he was found guilty of simple neglect of duty for failing to remit financial statements of Barangay Sambag 1 during his time as barangay captain.
He started serving the suspension last March.
With his reinstatement, BO-PK now has majority in the City Council with nine councilors as against the eight councilors of Team Rama.
Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr., the council’s assistant minority leader, said reorganization will take time.
He said BO-PK councilors are yet to finalize their reorganization plans which may have to wait until their inaugural session next month.
Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, the council’s presiding officer, said in an earlier interview that Team Rama councilors were prepared to support reorganization plans of the new majority group “being part of a democratic process.”
Councilor James Cuenco, the council’s majority floor leader, welcome Guardo’s reinstatement.
Sought for comment on BO-PK’s reorganization plans, Cuenco said he is yet to discuss the matter with his Team Rama allies./Reporter