Opposition support

VICE Mayor Edgardo Labella said opposition Team Rama councilors will not snub today's special session sought by Francisco Fernandez, Mayor Tomas Osmeña's executive assistant, to tackle the plan to hire a service provider to handle the city's garbage. Considering the solid waste disposal problem that the Cebu City Government is facing, politicking should be far from its officials' minds.

The hiring of a service provider seems to be the most sensible proposal to come from the mayor's office following its controversial moves that started with the reopening of the Inayawan “landfill.” For one, money amounting to P9.2 million is available. Fernandez said the money would be enough to pay for the work of the service provider until Dec. 31.

With the hiring of a service provider, the City will be given a respite of a few days to map out the next moves to fully solve the garbage disposal mess. The contract could be extended or the City can already find a legitimate landfill for the collected garbage. After that, a long-term solution can be mapped out, like setting up a sanitary landfill within Cebu City itself.

Osmeña may not admit it, but this is one instance wherein he desperately needs the city council to bail him out from the mess he created. His failure to prepare for the closure of the Inayawan dump site, whether intentional or not, led to his decision, intentional or not, to throw the city's trash in a lot inside the South Road Properties (SRP). That in turn prompted the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 to order him to close what he erroneously called a “transfer station.”

Osmeña defied EMB 7's order claiming lack of choice. But continued defiance of the order could lead to the filing of cases against him for violating Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. The outcome of today's session can hopefully end the defiance.

For a while, the mayor has been dismissive of Team Rama councilors who control the city council. Now he has to admit that, to govern well, he also needs the support of those councilors.