[] The two de officio members, the ABC chief and SK head, are not technically counted, being supposedly non-partisan. Routinely though, they are identified with the politician or party that helps them get their City Council seats.
[] The presiding officer can vote only in case of a tie but he influences legislative agenda and steers the lawmaking process.
BOPK IS BACK. Tomas Osmeña’s BOPK -- shut out from Cebu City Hall’s two highest offices in the past two elections, 2019 and 2022 -- is back, with its tandem of Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. and six-year-“rested” Osmeña proclaimed as mayor and vice mayor for the incoming 2025-2028 term.
6-6-4 or 10-6. Those are the numbers on council seats. But BOPK has not won majority of the seats of the City Council. It holds only six seats, against Kusug-Panaghiusa’s six seats, and Barug-Bag-ong Sugbo’s four seats.
Twelve (12) legislative seats were contested in the May 12 elections. The remaining two seats the Sanggunian were de officio and filled after the last barangay election.
One may look at the election results in two ways: (1) There is an existing 6-6 tie between the top two finishers, BOPK and Kusug, and (b) there is a possible majority of 10 in case a coalition of second-placer Kusug and third-placer Barug would happen.
The first is an actuality; the second will depend on party/personal interest and negotiation among the “minority” when the local legislature votes on a contentious resolution or ordinance.
PRESIDING OFFICER, DE OFFICIO MEMBERS. The presiding officer, Vice Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña, can help the Archival administration in the City Council in setting priorities and steering the discussion. But he can vote only in case of a tie and, according to Supreme Court jurisprudence, the VM/presiding officer has the duty to uphold rules of fairness in the process of legislation. Still, he’s the leader of the legislature and will be a big factor in the success of Archival’s governance.
How about the two de officio members of the City Council? Theoretically or fictionally non-partisan, yet representatives from the Sangguniang Kabataan and Association of Barangay Councils, one from each sector, routinely align themselves with a political party, usually the party that helped provide them the Sanggunian seat.
Barangay captains’ representative, Councilor Franklyn Ong, who stays as City Council member despite his election loss, ran last May 12 for congressman under Barug-BagOng Sugbo and, in a previous election, he was Margot Osmeña’s vice mayor candidate under BOPK. As a politician, the de officio councilor is hard put to remain non-partisan.
‘MINORITY’ CAN OVERRULE BOPK. By pooling votes -- that is, voting together against proposals of BOPK, which occupies the two highest offices in the City Government -- Kusug and Barug councilors can block or delay administration programs.
That can happen in informal alliances on specific issues or causes of mutual interest.
CITY COUNCIL CULTURE, a “modus vivendi” of sort, has been evident during the last two City Council terms (2019 and 2022), when the then Barug administration also controlled the local legislature. What’s the unwritten practice? They don’t put a question to a vote unless totally necessary.
Councilors have learned or gotten used to the “courtesy” of not pushing a proposed ordinance or resolution to that stage in which “the house is divided” or voted upon. Some counter-proposal, amendment, or even objections is made but often the process doesn’t reach the voting phase. It’s mostly consensus-building, with no actual voting to divide them.
Often, as the session minutes show, decisions are adopted unanimously.
DEFECTIONS OR JUST P.R.-INDUCED COOPERATION. There might be switching of parties along the say, as some councilors did before: notably, Mary Ann de los Santos and David Tumulak. Or, as is the vogue of some lawmakers, they may declare themselves “independent,” pledging to vote “independently,” disregarding party line and committing only to “public welfare and interest.”
Shifting to “independent” stance may be more practicable and less undesirable than being a turncoat. A councilor can say he’s voting according to the best interest of “the people,” not the politicians and sound like he or she means it.
That mat happen if Kasug and Barug won’t insist that their elected councilors toe the party line and vote according to party interest. Which will also depend on whether a party leader will be around to crack the whip and keep the party flame burning. Who’ll do that for Kusug and Barug?
WHEN MAYOR CALLED COUNCIL ‘OBSTRUCTIONIST.’ If there are no defections from the minority and persuasion is not used or doesn’t work, projects may be blocked or stalled. That’s when outright hostility between the mayor and opposition councilors may break out in the open.
That happened sometime during the 2016-2019 term of the City Council when Tomas Osmeña beat Mike Rama, wresting from him the mayor’s seat that Rama, a former protégé at BOPK held from 2010 to 2016.
Tomas then had to cope with a hostile City Council led by oppositionist vice mayor, Edgardo Labella, who won in the Barug Rama-Labella tandem. In a public exchange, he called the Barug councilors “obstructionists.”