Margot tops in crafting resolutions

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council approved 916 resolutions and 28 ordinances last year, based on the record of the department’s secretariat.

In the report submitted to the office of Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, City Councilor Margarita Osmeña had the most number of resolutions approved with 229 and five ordinances.

City Councilors Eduardo Rama, Jr. and Erik Miguel Espina have the least number of resolutions passed with only three each.

City Councilor Eugenio Gabuya, Jr. passed 127 resolutions, followed by City Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos with 91 resolutions.  Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera had 87 resolutions, while Councilor Sisinio Andales ended with 82 resolutions.

City Councilor Jerry Guardo passed 69 resolutions; Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia had 51 resolutions; Councilor Alvin Arcilla had passed 39 resolutions, while Councilor Joel Garganera closed the year with 37 resolutions.

City Councilor David Tumulak had 36 resolutions; Councilor Joy Augustus Young with 30 resolutions; Councilor Renato Osmeña, Jr. had eight resolutions, ex-officio member Jessica Resch with seven resolutions; Councilors Jose Daluz III and ex-officio member Franklyn Ong had six resolutions each, while City Councilor Pastor Alcover, Jr. finished with five resolutions.

As for the ordinances, Councilors Osmeña and Gabuya are tied with five approved ordinances each, while Councilors Garganera, Tumulak, and Andales had three ordinances each.

Councilors Young and Pesquera with two ordinances each, while Councilors Alcover, Arcilla, De los Santos, and Rama closed the year with one approved ordinance each.

One of the controversial measures passed last year was Gabuya’s ordinance authorizing enforcers of the city to confiscate the driver’s licenses of erring motorists because of the legality of the measure.

As of now, the Cebu City Transportation Office has not implemented the measure as it has to create an adjudication board that will hear complaints.

Another controversial measure passed by the City Council was the resolution authorizing the mayor to sign the Joint Venture Agreement with Universal Hotels and Resorts, Inc. for the P18-billion integrated resort and casino at the South Road Properties (SRP).

The measure was passed by the majority bloc of the body while the minority bloc considered the measure as null and void because the resolution was reportedly passed after the adjournment of the session.

While several complaints are lodged before the court, the UHRI is now processing for the commencement of the civil works of the world-class facility on Kawit Island at SRP.

Another ordinance that was welcomed by the public was Rama’s protection to any species of sharks, stingrays, and other species in the marine wildlife within the jurisdiction of the city last June 2018.

Labella said the City Council will continue to pass relevant measures that will redound to the benefit of its constituents.

Members of the body will end their term noontime of June 30, 2019.

Of the 28 approved ordinances, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña vetoed only one ordinance authored by Garganera that supposedly consolidated all 60 traffic ordinances. /GAN (FREEMAN)