Council defers posts for two former dads

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council has deferred the appointments of two former colleagues as consultants of Mayor Michael Rama.

Edwin Jagmoc and Procopio Fernandez, who both ran under the Team Rama in the May 2013 elections but lost, were among those tapped by the mayor to be his consultants on cooperative and livelihood concerns.

Councilor Alvin Dizon said the council cannot approve yet the consultancy appointments of the former councilors citing certain provision under the Local Government Code of 1991 banning losing candidates to be appointed in any government offices.

Sec.49 (b) of the Code provides that “no candidate who lost in any election shall, within one year after such election, be approved to any offices in the government or any government-owned or controlled corporations or in any of their subsidiaries.”

“I have no question in terms of the appointment of Jagmoc and Fernandez as consultants because they are qualified. Ang balaod ra gyod ang among concern,” Dizon clarified.

Rama, for his part, understood the decision of the council.

“Makahuwat ra na basta later on ipa-approve ra na. I don’t want to be arguing with that if that is technically not allowable or legally not allowable,” he said.

The newly appointed consultants of the mayor are John Philip Po II (City Youth Development Council); Ariel Dela Cruz (Structural Engineering of the Department of Engineering and Public Works); Joseph Abellar (Engineering and Infrastructure Project of DEPW); Rene Gregorio Bautista (People’s Law Enforcement  Board (PLEB) and Motorized Tricycle Regulatory Board (MTRB); and Antonio Avila (Broadcast and Media Affairs).

They will be receiving a monthly remuneration of P18,000.  (FREEMAN)