CITY Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. hit back on Councilor Greg Gasataya on the latter’s claim that he didn’t show interest in last Wednesday’s regular session when they failed to pass the appropriate budget for the payment of city’s electric bill.

Gasataya earlier said that Gamboa showed no interest to participate in the City Council session as he would to go back into the session hall when the session is already to be adjourned.

"The Manny Pacquiao Blog". Click here for stories and updates on the Filipino boxing champ.

City Council secretary Nilo Alejandrino said there was an item regarding the supplemental budget in the balance of the P23 million where one of the councilors appealed to pass the budget needed for the payment of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) bill in the amount of P3 million.

But the members of the City Council failed to pass the appropriate budget as under the rules, there must be a majority vote of eight councilors. Among 14 councilors, 10 were present, including councilors Gamboa, Alex Paglumotan, Homer Bais, Roberto Rojas, Catalino Alisbo, Celia Flor, Reynold Iledan, Diosdado Valenzuela, and Gasataya as the presiding officer.

Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson was at that time in Barangay 19 for the distribution of relief goods to the fire victims.

Meanwhile, councilors Jocelle Batapa-Sigue was in official on travel, Dindo Ramos official leave, and Al Victor Espino and Kevin Daniel Ramos were absent.

During the deliberation on the item for the approval of said budget, six councilors were left at the session hall, including Paglumotan, Bais, Flor, Rojas, Cordova, and Iledan. Valuenzuela left the session hall to go to Barangay 19 for the distribution of relief goods, while Alisbo and Gamboa also went out of the session hall for different reasons.

Gamboa said: “The statement of Gasataya is malicious and unfair.”

He said the appropriation of said budget was in third item of the agenda and that he was hoping it would be taken up but since the committee on finance chair was not around, he decided to leave the session hall while hoping for the coming of Espino, chair of the City Council committee on finance.

“I was not the only one who was out that time. Espino should also prioritize the session, most especially since it was his committee, and I should not be the center of criticism because when I went back to the session hall there was already a motion to adjourn the session,” Gamboa stressed.

But Espino said he was able to file his official leave, and that he was not present. He said Gamboa should not act like pointing fingers to his colleagues, “especially since he’s aspiring for a higher position he should not be pointing fingers on personal matters.”