Talisay City Council: Administration councilors unhappy with committees

CEBU, Philippines - With the majority in the Talisay City Sangguniang Panlungsod belonging to the opposition bloc, it was no surprise that three administration councilors were given chairmanships in minor committee.

The 21 committee chairmanships — along with the new internal house rules for the city council — were approved yesterday.

Reelected Councilor Richard Francis Aznar was chosen as majority floor leader, at the same time he would also head the committees on health, hospital services and sanitation, laws, good governance, and city properties.

Former mayor and now Councilor Socrates Fernandez will head the committee on public works and infrastructure, social services, and senior citizen.

Councilor Dennis Basillote and Edward Alesna, who is on their third and last term, will remain with their former committees.

Basillote will head the committees on housing, urban poor rural development, and education while Alesna will head the committee on budget and appropriation, and public order.

Eduardo Gullas III will head the committee on family, women and children, and games and amusement and sports development.

Doroteo Emit will chair the committee on tourism, heritage and international affairs, and labor, trade and industry while Antonio Bacaltos will chair the committee on agriculture and environment.

Both Emit and Bacaltos are neophyte belonging to the opposition.

ABC president Charles Basillote will be the chairman of the committee on barangay affairs and people’s organization while SKF president Carmel Jude Burlas will head the committee on youth development.

But administration minority Councilor Valeriano Ylanan, however, raised his concerns saying that the committees they would want to lead were not given to them.

Ylanan will head the committee on parks and playground while Danilo Caballero will head the committee on slaughter and market.

Aldin Diaz was assigned to the committee on communication and information technology.

“I would like to inform the august body that the committee chairmanships will be subject for amendments,” Ylanan said, adding that he was not satisfied with the committee chairmanship assigned to him.

Ylanan wants the committee on infrastructure while Caballero wants the committee on peace and order.

Diaz also expressed his desire to hold the committee on budget and finance.

The committee chairmanships including the house internal rules, however, were approved.

Relative to this, Aznar said the formulation of the different committees was conducted through caucuses and nominations were entertained.

“Committee assignments are a consensus of the majority,” Aznar said.

During the discussion, it was also approved that regular session schedules would be held every Thursday.

Unlike in the previous council where a vice mayor is holding a specific committee, Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante said he doesn’t hold any chairmanship.

In a separate interview, Mayor Johnny De los Reyes said he wants the proper rules and procedures on the distribution of committees observed.

De los Reyes said as a rule it is the majority group that vote for a committee with two aspiring chairmen.

The vice mayor will just intercede should there be a tie.

“Kung unsa man ang ilang committee nga nadawat, ilaha na lang nang dawaton. Usa ra man atong tuyo aron maka-serbisyo,” De los Reyes said. (FREEMAN)