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Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Minority councilors snub City Council revamp
By Barbara Carla R. Quiero
ALL seven members of the minority bloc in the City Council declined the committee chairmanship and membership offer of the majority bloc following a revamp of council committees in Tuesday's regular session.
Among the reasons of minority councilors for declining the offer is that they're not suited for the committees and that they don't know what to do in the committees assigned to them.
The seven city councilors are Victorio S. Advincula, Diosdado A. Mahipus, Danilo C. Dayanghirang, Nilo G. Abellera, Paz C. Mata, Pilar C. Braga, and Nenita R. Ocullo.
The assignments offered to the seven councilors are as follows:
** Advincula -- chair of the committee on labor and employment opportunities, vice-chair of the committee on civil, political and human rights and member of the committee on rules, privileges, laws and ordinances.
** Dayanghirang -- chair on committee on appointments and government reorganization and member of the committee on internal relations.
** Mahipus -- chair of the committee on publications and member of the committee on barangay affairs and committee on peace and public safety.
** Orcullo -- reinstated as the chair on the committee on cooperative development and people's participation and member of the committee on women, children and family relations.
** Mata -- reinstated chair of the committee on cultural communities and Muslim affairs and member of the committee on finance, ways, means and appropriations.
** Braga -- member of the committee on education, science and technology, art and culture and committee on ethics and good government.
** Abellera -- chair on committee on games and amusements and member of the committee on tourism and beautification.
Orcullo said it is ironic that the majority will be giving back the committee on cooperatives, which was taken from her last year due to alleged lack of confidence on her capability to handle the committee.
"It could be very humorous to give it back to me, so I'm declining. I found no reason why you (majority) want it back with me," Orcullo said.
Mahipus, for his part, said the majority has placed them in committees that do not suit their capacities and qualifications.
"We can't perform well and function if we don't have knowledge on the matter. Like Councilor Advincula, he was assigned as the chair of the committee on labor when he is not a labor leader. Abellera for games and amusement," he said.
Advincula is a lawyer while Abellera was a businessman.
"I was assigned to the committee on publications that is not a standing committee, it meets once in a blue moon. What will I do there?" asked Mahipus.
Dayanghirang said as a member of the minority bloc he was able to see the importance of fiscalizers in the City Council.
"If we all handle committees, then no one will act as fiscalizer," Dayanghirang said.
Mahipus and Dayanghirang said they were not even informed of the new assignment of committee chairmanship and membership.
City Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta, however, said it has always been the practice that the members of the majority bloc always get to choose their committees first.
"That has been the tradition that if you are a member of the majority, you get the privilege to choose, which committee you like," Acosta said.
Acosta said the decision of the committee chairmanship and membership underwent consultation and consensus by the majority. The decision was finalized Monday night.
But, despite the decision of the minority to decline the offer of the majority, they all vowed to support the leadership of Vice Mayor Luis Bonguyan in the City Council, as well as City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte.
"It's very unfortunate that you (minority) have declined the position in the committees but that is your right," Bonguyan said during the session.
Councilor Bonifacio E. Militar, for his part, said he does not see anything wrong in the minority bloc's decision to refuse the offer.
"They are correct, you cannot just give a committee on anybody without even informing the person," Militar said.
Militar said he suggested to Bonguyan that the seven councilors be met on a meeting this Thursday to encourage them to accept the committees.
"We are all working here as one, we should not be fighting," he said.
The reorganization of committee chairmanship and membership was brought by the amendments introduced in the City Council in its rules and regulations.
The new members and chair of committees took their oath during the session.
Those positions left vacant after the minority declined the positions, Acosta said, will be filled after a meeting.
Committee membership was also reduced from seven to just five, making it easier to get a quorum during committee hearings and meetings.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (June 14, 2006 issue)
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