Thursday, August 19, 2004 Majority ‘grabs’ all committees
AS HE expected, the lone oppositionist in the Mandaue City Council did not get any committee chairmanships or any assignment for a legislative district.
“Where is that call for unity that the mayor said?” Councilor Elmer Cabahug said.
In contrast, other councilors will handle as much as four committees in the Council and three barangays under their legislative districts.
When Councilor Wenceslao Gakit enumerated the committees and their respective chairpersons, Cabahug remained silent in his seat.
Cabahug said yesterday that when the chairmanships were designated in last Tuesday’s regular session, he already expected his name to be absent from the list.
He said it was just like in 1998, his first term as a councilor, when he was also the lone opposition in the Council and the minority floor leader.
But if he would be offered a membership in a committee, he would gladly accept it.
He said he wants to know who designated the chairmanships and why the minority wasn’t given any.
He admitted that he didn’t raise it during the session because he knew he wouldn’t get any answer.
Cabahug also pointed out the case of Councilor Dionisio Ceniza, who got at least one committee despite being absent in the regular sessions after the inaugural in July.
Cabahug said he doesn’t have anything against Ceniza.
The tenth Mandaue City Council now has its own set of House Rules, committees and officers.
During the regular session late Tuesday afternoon, the City Council approved on final reading the House Rules and designated the chairpersons of the committees.
They also elected their majority floor leader, assistant majority floor leader, president pro tempore and minority floor leader.
Councilor Carlo Pontico Fortuna nominated Councilor Jonas Cortes for president pro tempore. The nomination was closed immediately.
Cortes raked in the highest number of votes among the councilors in the May polls.
Fortuna also nominated Gakit for majority floor leader. Nobody else was nominated.
Gakit then nominated Fortuna for assistant majority floor leader. Fortuna got the position after the nomination was immediately closed.
Fortuna then went on to move for the discussion for minority floor leader.
Before he could go on, Vice Mayor Amadeo Seno Jr. interrupted and asked Cabahug whether he was part of the administration. (AAG)
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