"ANTI-ENVIRONMENT."

This was how Cebu City opposition Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia described his colleagues in the City Council who voted against his proposal to expand the coverage of City Ordinance (CO) 2343, which regulates the sale and use of plastic shopping bags every Saturday and Wednesday.

"It would also be good to let the public know who were these councilors who are anti-environment," he said.

Garcia would have wanted the plastic ban to be in effect seven days a week, but in an 8-5 vote with two abstentions last October 9, the council disapproved the draft ordinance.

Those who voted against were Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) Councilors Joy Augustus Young, Sisinio Andales, Margarita Osmeña, Alvin Arcilla, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Mary Ann delos Santos, Franklyn Ong, and Jessica Resch.

Although a member of BOPK, Councilor Dave Tumulak voted in favor of the measure along with minority bloc Councilors Garcia, Joel Garganera, Eduardo Rama Jr., and Pastor Alcover Jr.

Majority bloc Councilor Jerry Guardo and opposition Councilor Joy Pesquera abstained.

During the nearly 40-minute discussion, Young and Gabuya lamented that a feasibility study on the proposed measure should be done first.

"Ang kato untang ordinansa would improve our flooding problem and help our environment...Pamolitika man ni tanan ba. They just don't want the opposition to get the credit kay hapit na election," Garcia said.

Garcia, though, said he will support the reported move of the executive session to formulate a separate draft legislation on the matter.

In a separate interview, majority floor leader Margarita Osmeña clarified that she and her seven BOPK colleagues are not against the implementation of a total plastic ban in the city, per se.

"Were not against the ban itself. He can say what he likes. It was very clear in the discussions. My colleagues were asking just for more studies, that's all," she said. (RTF)