BO-PK councilors thwart City Council panel revamp
A rumored attempt by Team Rama councilors to push for a revamp of the Cebu City Council committee chairmanship was nipped in the bud after councilors allied with the rival Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) bloc moved for an early adjournment of yesterday’s session.
When the session ended at 10:30 a.m. the two opposing camps met acting Cebu City Mayor Edgar Labella, who downplayed rumors of an attempt to reorganize the City Council.
“We are a family but there are also political realities. There are many matters to be discussed.
Reorganization might be one of those. But it’s important that the council can work together for the best interest of the city,” Labella said before their closed-door meeting.
He said he urged colleagues to include items not discussed in yesterday’s session in next week’s agenda.
“The issue on the planned reorganization remained hanging,” said a councilor who requested anonymity.
Sources said text messages circulated the day before about Team Rama’s plan to strip Councilor Margot Osmeña of her chairmanship of the powerful budget and finance committee and give it to her vice chairman Councilor Noel Wenceslao.
Wish list
Wenceslao along with Councilors Richard Osmeña and Gerardo Carillo broke away from the BO-PK.
The executive department is preparing next year’s budget that will include the “wish lists” of every barangay.
Speculations of a committee revamp rose after former councilor turned consultant Jose Daluz III entered the session hall while the session is ongoing.
Before the 9 a.m. session, Councilor Carillo was vocal about the possible committee revamp.
“If we push through with it, it might split the council. It’s something we have to discuss first. It has something to do with reorganization and something to do with other items in the agenda,” Carillo told reporters.
After the reading of the minutes, the BO-PK bloc called for a 40-minute recess and met at the legislative building caucus room located beside the session room.
Team Rama allies along with Councilors Carillo, Wenceslao, and Richard Osmeña stayed inside the session hall while Councilor Dave Tumulak stepped out to attend to another concern.
When they returned to the session hall, Councilor Nestor Archival delivered a privilege speech and Cabrera followed by moving for a passage of a resolution declaring a state of calamity in the fire hit sitios of barangay Luz.
Abella then called for an adjournment of the session. Sources said Cabarrubias is a deciding factor in the committee revamp.
When asked what his vote would be in case of a revamp, Cabarrubias said “I will have to decide when that day comes.”
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