Cebu City Mayor Labella now back at work

Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella meets with city officials on July 1, 2021. | Photo Courtesy of Lawyer Floro Casas, Jr.,

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella has returned to work again as the city’s chief executive on July 1, 2021, after taking a three-week-long leave.

The mayor is working in his home in Barangay Bacayan for the meantime, but he is expected to work back in his office on Friday, June 2, 2021, and will address the public through a press conference.

“I am very grateful to my fellow workers in government and to my dear friend Vice Mayor Michael Rama for ensuring nga padayon ang atong local government sa pagserbisyo sa katawhan. Mapasalamaton usab ko sa akong mga kaigsuonang Sugbuanon for the prayers and well wishes. I am glad to be back in office aron moalagad kaninyo,” said in the mayor in a Facebook post.

(“I am very grateful to my fellow workers in government and to my dear friend Vice Mayor Michael Rama for ensuring that the service of our local government to the public continues. I am grateful to our fellow Cebuanos for their prayers and well wishes. I am glad to be back in office so that I can serve you.)

City Administrator Floro Casas posted a photo of the mayor meeting with officials including himself, Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia, Department of Public Services head Lawyer Jigo Dacua, Department of General Services head Lawyer June Maratas, and others.

After a three-week leave, Labella is facing various issues that arose during the time of his absence.

This includes the piled-up garbage at the Inayawan Transfer Station due to contractual conflicts between the transfer station contractor and the Binaliw Landfill.

The council has requested the immediate fixing of the White Road after Vice Mayor Rama found out that the area was simply unsuitable for passage, contributing to the difficulty of hauling garbage to and from the transfer station.

Aside from this, Labella will also need to answer the allegations of former Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos, who released a document revealing that Labella has cancelled the Phase 4 construction of the CCMC. 

The mayor, himself, said on May 27, 2021, that the bidding of Phase 4 was going to be awarded soon, but the notice of cancellation for the project was dated May 4, 2021. 

These are among the issues Labella will be facing when he returns back to work at the office. 

The mayor is expected to address these issues publicly on Friday.

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