Committee chairmanships for new City Council still on the talks
The new set of Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) members will already assume their post on July 1st , but they have not yet finalized their committee chairmanships. These after the city councilors belonging to the majority group have yet to finally decide on who will handle the different committees.
Vice Mayor-elect Jed Mabilog said the first regular session for the new SP which is on July 4 will only be more of an inaugural rite. Each councilor will deliver their speech during the first session.
Mabilog said majority of the members of the new council agreed to finalize the committee chairmanships in the next session which is on July 11. There are, however, councilors who have expressed their desire to handle their chosen committees.
Among those early birds who want chairmanships are Councilors Jose Espinosa III, Erwin Plagata, Eduardo Peñaredondo and Antonio Pesina. Espinosa and Plagata want to retain their chairmanships in the committee on appropriation and committee on health, respectively.
Plagata likewise wants to assume as chair of the committee on transportation, communication and public utilities formerly chaired by Espinosa. The committee on transportation, communication and public utilities is a powerful committee when Perimeter Boundary Ordinance (PBO) was made. Recently, one of Espinosa's staff figured in the controversy on the issuance of transport passes to the different out of town transport organizations.
Peñaredondo also wants to retain his chairmanship on the committee on zoning and expropriation. At the same time, he wants to have the chairmanship on the committee on engineering and infrastructure which is chaired by Mabilog.
Pesina, on the other hand, wants to assume as chair of the committee on ways and means. The committee on ways and means is presently chaired by Councilor Perla Zulueta. The same committee was first eyed by Councilor Jeffrey Ganzon. Later, he backed off from his plan.
Mabilog said they want to observe the proper rules and procedures on the distribution of committees.
He said as a rule it is the majority group who vote for any committee with two aspiring chairmen. The vice mayor will just intercede should there be a tie.
The minority group which only includes Zulueta and Lex Tupas will have to wait for whatever committee is available. The priority and juicy committees will practically go to the members of the majority group.