VMLP-Cebu: Young not a member

 CEBU, Philippines - The Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP)-Cebu Chapter  does not recognize Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young as one of its members because he has never attended their meetings nor paid membership dues since he assumed office.

“We don’t consider him as a member. He never gives his membership dues,” said VMLP-Cebu president and Toledo City Vice Mayor Dydee Zambo in an interview at the Grand Convention Center where their monthly meeting was held.

Zambo said they used to consider Young as one of their members but his continued absence “shows that he’s not interested to join the Cebu Chapter”.

She said Young also failed to pay his membership dues, and every time they would solicit from his office to augment the group’s funds, he would reportedly tell them to use the annual fund given by the Provincial government. The Toledo City vice mayor said Young’s predecessor and now Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama fared well during his time.

“He (Rama) was very active. He even became a national president,” she said.

 Young said he does not feel like attending the Cebu VMLP’s meetings, as he believes these are only for vice mayors of the province. “Di ko ganahan mo-attend…Unsa may labot namo sa probinsya, (I don’t want to attend. We have nothing to do with the province,” he said, adding that he is also busy with work.  Young said he only attends the gatherings hosted by the VMLP national.

 Governor Gwen Garcia and her brother, third district Rep. Pablo John Garcia, attended the VMLP event.

On top of the P2 million annual financial aid to the organization, Garcia also assured an additional P250,000. Pablo John also took advantage of the occasion to introduce himself as One Cebu’s candidate for governor next year. And although there was a resounding applause coming from the vice mayors, Zambo said they cannot expect a 100-percent support for Pablo John.

“Sipa ang pakpak that means nauyon sila. (The resounding applause means they are in favor.) It shows their appreciation. But I can’t say, it’s 100 percent but we’ll do our best that we can to help PJ as the next governor,” Zambo said.

The attendance of the vice mayors yesterday was also noticeably poor with only 23 of the 53 members present, raising theories that the Garcias no longer have the majority of the vice mayors. But Zambo was quick to deny the insinuation, saying they had problems with communications, and the members were not informed that the Garcias would visit them, so it was wrong to assume that more than half of their members did not come because of the two political figures.

“We had a problem with our communications, daghan wa kadawat. In our communications, way mention that the governor and PJ are coming, (We had a problem with our communications, many did not receive it. In our communications, there was no mention that the governor and PJ are coming.)” she said.  (FREEMAN)