Labella to give opposition committee chairmanships

CEBU. Newly sworn in Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella waves to his supporters after officially taking his oath of office as the new chief executive of the City. Labella defeated Cebu’s political Goliath, former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña, during the May 2019 midterm elections. (Arni Aclao)
CEBU. Newly sworn in Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella waves to his supporters after officially taking his oath of office as the new chief executive of the City. Labella defeated Cebu’s political Goliath, former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña, during the May 2019 midterm elections. (Arni Aclao)

IT WAS the most difficult fight in his political career. But he triumphed.

A David compared to the Goliaths of Cebu—the Osmeñas—newly sworn in mayor of Cebu City Edgardo Labella formally took the city executive seat at 11:46 a.m. Sunday, June 30, 2019, taking his oath before Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier.

Labella was joined by his family.

Prior to his oath taking, his winning team from Barug-PDP-Laban took their oaths with Lazaro-Javier too.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama, who has returned to City Hall after serving as mayor of the city for two terms before he lost to Tomas Osmeña, also took his oath.

Labella, in his speech, described that his most difficult fight in his political career was fighting against former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña.

“Campaining against the former mayor and more crucially winning your trust was an uphill climb. Pwerte gyung lisura. Pwerte gyung paita. I was against a formidable incumbent who knows how to wield his power, used government resources,” Labella said.

There was no fanfare in the activity, except when Labella and Rama released butterflies from a box as a symbol of prosperity for Cebu City under their helm.

Committee heads

Labella, facing local media after the oath taking, said one of the things he wants done is to allow all councilors to hold committee chairmanships, including the opposition councilors of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

“If we become the majority, I will suggest to the vice mayor and the majority members to give a chance to the minority to have a committee chairmanship,” said Labella.

Labella said he is not in favor of the idea that just because a councilor belongs to the opposition, he will not be given his own committee chairmanship, adding that it would lead to an unhealthy council.

He said it will not be a problem for him if Barug will be a minority in the City Council.

“I don’t consider it a problem if we belong to the minority.... I’m not quite worried if we can’t achieve the majority, but it’s a lot better if we can get it,” Labella said.

During the oath taking of the Barug PDP Laban at Plaza Sugbo on Sunday morning, June 30, 2019, Councilor Jerry Guardo and Dave Tumulak joined the ceremony. They are BOPK councilors.

Guardo gained entry to the Council after the Commission on Elections En banc issued a writ of execution cancelling the Certificate of Candidacy of Alvin Arcilla.

Interviewed after the ceremony, Guardo said he is consistent with his stand of supporting Labella’s administration.

“I’m just very consistent with my stand, on my public declaration of support to the newly elected Cebu City Mayor Labella,” Guardo said.

Guardo will have his proclamation in Manila on July 1, together with Alvin Dizon and Raymond Alvin Garcia as duly elected members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in the North District of Cebu City.

Labella is confident that under his administration, there will be a smooth run, especially since he could feel the support for his administration.

Labella also said he talked with some people from the opposition who assured him that they will support his programs.

“I’m quite optimistic because there are objective people there that I talked to and assured me that even if they still belong to the other side, if there are meaningful legislation, meaningful programs that I will push to the legislative, they will support,” said the city mayor.

Labella wants to have a healthy exercise of democracy under his administration.

Temporary office

While waiting for his official office to be done with its renovation, Labella will still be using the Vice Mayor’s Office for five days.

The new mayor’s office will be at the ground floor of the executive building or the previous City Treasurer’s office. While waiting, Labella said he will be using its adjacent office, the Senior Citizens office.

Labella said he already spoke with Vice Mayor Michael Rama on the matter. And the latter will temporarily use the Social Hall located on the fourth floor of the Legislative building in Cebu City Hall.

Some of his staff can occupy the office at the eighth floor since there are still offices there that can still be used, said Labella.

He said he will renovate his predecessor’s office but he still has to look for funds to support its construction, adding he will not ask any favor from the private sector.

Labella said such action, receiving donations from private entities, is a violation of Presidential Decree 46, which states “making it punishable for public officials and employees to receive, and for private persons to give, gifts on any occasion, including Christmas.”

“It will take a little time to have that renovated because we will look for money... City’s money since that is a City property,” said Labella.

He added he had already entrusted the issue to the Cebu City Legal Office.

What happened was a destruction of government property, he said.

“If you leave the premises, you have to maintain the immovables, (in such case) they should have placed it back,” said Labella.

On Thursday night, June 27, 2019, the day before Osmeña’s last day of office, around 20 men allegedly entered the former mayor’s office and stripped it of the ceiling, tiles and other fixtures.

Meanwhile, Labella said the Cebu City Public Library will continue its 24/7 operations. He will issue a memorandum to add more employees to man the library.

The foreign language classes conducted in the library will also continue, he said. (JJL)

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