Tuesday, July 03, 2007 Council ‘won’t be rubber stamp’
WITH fewer committees than the last council, the 11th Sanguniang Panlungsod formally opened yesterday with promises of transparency, service for the poor and independence from the executive department.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday that even if there are no opposition members in the council, they will preserve the independence of the legislative body.
In his speech during the inaugural session, Rama said their political opponents have clearly failed in destroying the credibility of the council when they called it a rubber stamp of the mayor’s office.
“To make things clear, this council is independent but a coordinate body of the executive. We are separate but we work as a team. We say yes to progress, we say yes to unity,” he said.
As the 11th Council opened, Rama assured people they will continue to be transparent and accountable to the people at all times.
Legislation
He also promised legislations that would help attract investors and provide an environment “conducive to a robust economy.”
“We promise to be the servants of the poor and the weak... We will see to it that every single centavo of the people’s taxes shall be duly accounted for and returned in the form of services, protection and infrastructure projects,” he said.
Rama said the Award of Excellence as the most outstanding legislative body in the country they received this year and the renovation of the legislative building are two of the major achievements of the 10th Council.
The 11th City Council saw a major revamp in the chairmanship and membership of the committees with the exit of three city councilors who were on their third and final terms.
Several committees were also merged so that from 25 committees, there are now only 23.
New officers
The council elected yesterday a new set of officers and set their house rules. Instead of starting at 3 p.m., the council session will now start at 2 p.m. every Wednesday.
Among the committees that were merged are the local and international relations and the committee on tourism. Councilor Arsenio Pacaña chairs the committee.
The committee on dangerous drugs was merged with the committee on police, and is now called the committee on public order and safety. It is chaired by Councilor Augustus Pe Jr.
Newly elected councilors Roberto Cabarrubias, Lea Japson and Richard Osmeña were already given their own committees, while most of the reelected senior councilors retained their committee chairmanships in the previous council.
First Councilor Hilario Davide III was elected president pro tempore, Councilors Nestor Archival as majority floor leader, Arsenio Pacaña as first assistant majority floor leader and Gerardo Carillo as second assistant majority floor leader.
Davide will take over as vice mayor in Rama’s absence. He also chairs the committee on agriculture and is a member of the committee on laws.
Councilor Edgardo Labella, former deputy ombudsman for the Visayas and a practicing lawyer, remained as chairman of the committee on laws, public accountability and good government.
Councilor Jose Daluz III now chairs the committee on budget and finance, which is considered as one of the busiest committees in the council. It was previously chaired by former councilor Jocelyn Pesquera.
The committee on education, also formerly chaired by Pesquera, is now handled by Carillo.
Archival now chairs the committee on infrastructure, which was previously chaired by former councilor Gabriel Leyson. He also retained his chairmanship of the committee on parks and playgrounds, wildlife, ecology and environmental management.
Rama also reported yesterday that the 10th City Council passed 120 ordinances, 9,276 resolutions and held a record of 134 regular sessions, 10 special sessions and 102 executive sessions. (LCR)
