Near-brawl mars session

CEBU, Philippines -  After six months of not meeting in an official session, Dumanjug town councilors almost ended their session yesterday with a brawl over their seating arrangement.

Vice Mayor Efren Guntrano “Gungun” Gica, the presiding officer, said the seating arrangement was agreed upon by majority of the councilors last week but opposition councilor Eliezer Amadora did not heed the supposed agreement.

Amadora complained when Gica asked him to transfer to the seat occupied by Councilor Ricardo Condes in the front row.

“Didto nga bahin ako nakaingon, Vice, ngano magbaylo man mi nga nakalingkod naman ko diri? Ingon siya ako’y presiding officer, ako’y magbuot,” Amadora said.

While he followed Gica’s directive, Amadora said he uttered the word “paita,” an expression of dismay, which reportedly irked the vice mayor.

Amadora said Gica’s brother, Councilor Erwin “Wado” Gica, then approached him and pushed him in the face. The vice mayor also allegedly pulled him through his barong and challenged him to a fistfight.

“Human, nitindog si Vice, gibitad akong barong kay magsumbagay kuno mi. Wa ko nisukol,”Amadora said, adding, that the policemen securing the session pacified them.

He also alleged that Erwin threatened to throw an ash tray at him.

The vice mayor, however, played the situation down.

“Among sesyon wa ma’y gubot sukad-sukad hangtud ganiha. Dili sad matawag gubot, igo ra lalis sa seating arrangement,” he said.

He said it was Amadora who was “arrested” first by the police to compel him and the rest of the majority members who belong to the opposition bloc to appear at the session hall after six months of lack of quorum for a session.

The session is set at 2 p.m. but yesterday, Gica said he was prompted to call the police to “arrest” the majority block and bring the councilors to the session hall when they continued to stay at their offices 45 minutes past schedule.

“Igo ra gihangyo, nanulod ang lima, sige yaw-yaw ngano ipadakop pa. Ingon ko nila, di man mo ipadakop kung manulod mo, alas 2 man schedule sa session,” Gica said.

Gica confirmed asking Amadora to transfer to another seat, which reportedly irked the latter.

“Nasuko si Amadora ngano kuno magbuot, nasuko si Wado” Gica said.

Since they assumed office on July 1, 2013, Gica said that except for Condes who is a re-electionist, the newly elected councilors have not been provided with name plates on their tables at the session hall. — /JMO (FREEMAN)