SIX Toledo City councilors met with Gov. Hilario Davide III yesterday to explain the
issue behind the approval of the City Government's 2014 budget.
Councilors Edgardo Aguilar, Antonio Borja Jr., Rogelio Caburnay, Helen Jill Espinosa, Louis Nicholas Espinosa, and Ricardo Pepito reiterated that the budget was not valid for lack of quorum.
"I said that please, for the good of Toledo, for the people of Toledo, you try your best. You make the effort to reconcile (with the other officials)," Davide recalled telling the councilors.
Earlier, Davide urged the councilors from the opposition to attend the session regularly after hearing that some don't show up, which caused the quorum problem.
In an interview, Councilor Ricardo Pepito denied they rarely attend the session.
Pepito said they visited the governor to share their sentiments and explain that there was no intention to go against Davide.
On behalf of the five other councilors, he said they are satisfied with the conversation with Davide.
Pepito also denied other politicians are telling them to go against the administration of Toledo City.
“We also explained to the governor that the majority group did not plan to alternately attend the session,” Pepito told reporters after the meeting.
Earlier, majority of the city council filed a petition for preliminary injunction before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) to stop the implementation of the budget ordinance because it was passed in the council without a quorum.
The RTC granted the petition last May 14.
As a result, a blackout was experienced at the City Hall and garbage piled up all over the city since the electricity bill was not paid and there was no fund to purchase fuel for the garbage trucks.
However, Mayor John Henry Osmeña filed a petition to nullify the earlier writ of preliminary injunction issued by the RTC.
The appellate court issued a 60-day temporary restraining order, which allowed the City to use the budget for city hall's services.