With latest movements in city council:BOPK may lose majority

CEBU, Philippines —  While they survived the May 13 elections keeping a hold of the majority in the Cebu City Council, this grip seems to be slipping away for councilors allied with Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

Returning councilor Nestor Archival admitted they are starting to get worried with recent developments including the disqualification of councilor-elect Alvin Arcilla and the pronouncement of councilor-elect David Tumulak that he will be supporting the administration of incoming mayor Edgardo Labella.

 And it isn’t helping that Labella’s group, Partido Barug - PDP Laban, reportedly continues to invite BOPK allies to jump ship.

“In case nga kuwangan mi, we won’t have the voice to put in people nga, which we think maayo sa syudad (In case that we will lose the numbers, we will not have the voice to push for what we believe will be good for the city). It’s not a good idea nga we look at the group as majority when, in fact, we don’t really know what’s going on,” Archival told The FREEMAN.

The two groups are expected to meet on July 1, a day before the inaugural session of the 15th Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Recently, the Commission on Elections en banc issued a certificate of finality on the disqualification of Arcilla after the latter failed to secure a temporary restraining order from the court.

Once the disqualification is enforced, the next in rank in the elections, Jerry Guardo, shall take over. Guardo himself has said he will support Labella’s administration.

Another problem that BOPK is facing is the case of Councilor Sisinio Andales.

The Comelec en banc has also upheld the decision of Comelec’s Second Division, which granted the petitions of Allen Canoy, a registered voter of Barangay Apas, to have the candidacies of Andales and Arcilla cancelled.

Canoy, in his petition, said Arcilla and Andales have already served three terms, from 2010-2013, 2013-2016, and 2016-2019.

If Andales also gets disqualified, Joel Garganera who follows him in the ranking, will take over.

In the event Guardo and Garganera would move up and replace Arcilla and Andales, the Comelec en banc would need to reconstitute the board of canvassers to proclaim them as new Council members.

In this scenario, Partido Barug - PDP Laban will get the majority at the Council with 10 councilors.

The 10 are Garganera, Guardo, Tumulak, Prisca Niña Mabatid, Raymond Alvin Garcia, Donaldo Hontiveros, Eduardo Rama, Antonio Cuenco, Renato Osmeña Jr., and Phillip Zafra.

BOPK, meanwhile, will have eight councilors, including Archival, Joy Augustus Young, Lea Japson, Alvin Dizon, Eugenio Gabuya, Jr., Yayoy Alcoseba, and ex-officio members Franklyn Ong, the president of the Association of Barangay Councils, and Jessica Resch, the federation president of the Sangguniang Kabataan.

Election officer Marchel Sarno said they will just wait for the Comelec en banc to grant a motion for execution that Canoy is expected to file enforce Arcilla’s disqualification. —  JMO (FREEMAN)