Rama allies in City Council to push on with revamp

A shakeup in committees of the Cebu City Council is expected after a two-hour meeting yesterday between Team Rama and Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) blocs failed to reach an agreement.

Team Rama allies said they would push on with their planned committee reorganization and see how the council as a whole will decide on the matter today during its regular session.

“Let us not be hypocrites anymore. Whatever happens, we will just have to accept it,” a source quoted Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos of Team Rama as saying during the luncheon meeting attended by 14 of the 17 councilors.

Absent were Councilors Nestor Archival and Nendell Abella who were abroad and Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president Philip Zafra.

Councilor Dave Tumulak of Team Rama was also quoted as saying that ending the impasse would allow the council to have a good night’s sleep.

Vice Mayor Edgar Labella earlier called for the meeting to discuss the plan to call for a reorganization.
Mayor Michael Rama’s allies want to get hold of the budget committee headed by Councilor Margot Osmeña and the laws committee headed by Sisnio Andales.

Andales offered to give up his chairmanship to Councilor Gerardo Carillo provided that Osmeña gets to keep the budget committe.

But Team Rama councilors insisted on taking over both committees which are crucial to ensure the passage of the mayor’s proposal for the 2015 budget which will has to be submitted to the City Council by October 16.