Kikang: council independent

REELECTED Cagayan de Oro city Vice-Mayor Raineir Joaquin "Kikang" Uy has assured that the administration-dominated city council will remain independent to maintain the principle of checks and balances in the local government.

Uy and the majority of the councilors who won in the recently-concluded midterm elections, are from the administration party while only two councilors from the opposition made it.

"We will remain independent to maintain checks and balances between the executive and legislative. DIli mawala ang (it will not be gone, the) check and balance,"Uy said.

The second-termer vice-mayor also said opposition councilors Lordan Suan and Bebot Rodriguez will be treated as regular members of the council and will be given committees.

"Tagaan nato sila og committees. Tagaan nato sila og kaangayan (we will give them committees, and capabilities)," he added.

Neophyte councilor Girlie Balaba also said she will also make sure that the check and balance is maintained in the city council.

Another administration councilor Reuben Daba said the new crop of councilors have different abilities, even as he assured that the next council will be a rubber stamp of the executive.

"I don't think so nga mahimong (that the council will be a) rubber stamp ang (in the) city council kay lain-lain man mi og gigikanan naay gikan sa (because we came from different parties like) Centrist (Democratic Party, and) sa LP (Liberal Party) nga nibalihn sa (who transferred to) PDP-Laban," Daba said.

Councilor Edna Dahino, who grabbed the first spot for the first district, said she will make sure that the programs the 18th city council has started will be continued for the welfare of the people.

"I will double my effort to do more and do it well in my last term. It's not about the position it's about the contribution that we can give," Dahino said.