OPPOSITION ‘SHUT OUT’ FROM COUNCIL CHAIRMANSHIPS

BOPK will get council majority with entry of SK Federation chairperson Jessica Resch

For the second time in a row, Cebu City opposition councilors will not be getting any committee chairmanships or memberships once the City Council holds its reorganization session on July 3.

Despite this, minority floor leader Raymond Garcia said they will just adhere to the majority’s call and will not ask to be part of any committee.

“No need to ask for committees. That’s always been with the majority. We will be shut out of all the committees because we will become the minority with the entry of Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Jessica Resch of Barangay San Nicolas Proper,” he told reporters in Cebuano.

At present, Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) and the opposition each have eight councilors, including outgoing Association of Barangay Councils president and reelected Tisa Barangay Captain Phillip Zafra, who is with the opposition.

But with Resch assuming office as ex-officio member of the council at noon of June 30, this means that the scales tip in favor of BOPK.

In a separate interview, majority floor leader Margarita Osmeña said that although they have no plans to give the opposition chairmanships, the matter is still up for discussion.

“It was brought up, but they had made it clear before at one point that they will not accept. I don’t know if they have changed their minds this time. The majority will decide as the practice has always been. As the majority floor leader, I will always, out of courtesy to the presiding officer, discuss it with the vice mayor (Edgardo Labella),” she said.

Aside from the creation of the committee on youth development, which will be headed by Resch, Osmeña said there will be no major change in this year’s reorganization. /