Opposition council bloc shoots down renewal of admin consultants

THE opposition bloc in the Cebu City Council blocked two proposed resolutions that would allow the mayor’s office to hire consultants during Tuesday’s session.

Councilor Joy Pesquera said this year’s budget doesn’t cover consultants. “Consultancy is a procurement of service. So when you procure something you have an approved budget,” she said.

The mayor’s office intends to renew the contracts of Elmer Mansanadez as consultant for the Urban Planning and Housing Matters and Bonel Balingit as consultant for Sports Development.

“I objected kay I really want to make sense to all of these consultants whether or not they are really needed or they were hired for political accommodation,” Councilor Raymond Garcia said.

He said Balingit’s accomplishment report showed he only visited two barangays in two to three months time.

“He’s receiving P18,000 a month or P216,000 per year. Is that really justified? He just goes there maybe to attend the meeting, sits down and then goes. He does not coordinate with the barangay hall but with the barangay mayor’s office. That’s why I objected to it,” Garcia said.

Consultants of city councilors have a six-month contract with a monthly remuneration of P18,000. Since 2016 the opposition officials were unable to get their own consultants since Mayor Tomas Osmeña did not allow it.

The council only approved the consultancy of Councilor Joy Augustus Young who is allied with the administration Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK).

Councilors Eugenio Gabuya and Dave Tumulak have withdrawn their resolutions to hire consultants during the session. Vice Mayor Edgar Labella said he approved Councilor Young’s consultant since he already signed it.

Labella said the mayor should give the councilors their own consultants to ensure equal treatment under the law.

“Considering that the law allows consultancy to respective councilors, they should also be given the consultants in the same manner that in my case, I am giving the same treatment for all the members of the council whether with us or the other side. I don’t choose,” the vice mayor said.