Council won't buy firemen's vests

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Councilor Noel Eleuterio Wenceslao has formally withdrawn his proposed resolution for the City to spend P490,485 to purchase firemen’s protective vests for all members of the City Council.

In yesterday’s regular City Council session, Wenceslao said the public criticisms prompted him to withdraw his proposal because he learned that people are not in favor of the city legislators’ plan to spend taxpayers’ money for the protective vests of councilors.

It was City Councilor Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa who first criticized the move of Wenceslao, describing such expenses as unnecessary because most of the City’s 18 councilors and the vice mayor will not respond to fire alarms and other calamities.

“Giklaro lang g’yud nako nga wala idayon ang maong pagpamalit og protective vests kay basin og ang mga tawo magduda unya nga gidayon nato (I’m just making this clear that the we dropped the plan),” Abellanosa added.

Wenceslao earlier said the purchase of the firemen’s protective vests for the members of the City Council is to protect the councilors who decide to respond to emergencies. Some persons in the gallery who attended the session yesterday felt happy when they heard that Wenceslao had dropped his proposal.

A firefighter assigned at the Cebu City Fire Station said the withdrawal of the resolution was welcomed by his fellow firemen. — (FREEMAN)