At Talisay City Council Vice mayoralty aspirants clash

CEBU, Philippines - The political contest is apparently beginning to heat up in Talisay City.

This became evident at yesterday’s regular council session when Vice Mayor Alan Bucao, the council presiding officer, and minority leader Romeo Villarante, exchanged harsh words when the time came to decide whether or not to approve three committee reports, which were inserted in the main agenda. 

Both Bucao, seeking reelection, and Villarante, a lawyer by profession, are main rivals for the vice mayoralty post in the May 2013 elections. 

Prior to the discussion, there were only two main items in the agenda - the approval of a simple subdivision and the resolution extending condolences to the family and relatives of Victoria Abangan Pasignajin, who was instrumental in paving the way for the realization of the city’s desire to build a district hospital.

Councilor Rodi Cabigas, who is the majority floor leader, also presented an amendment to the main agenda by inserting one resolution and three separate committee reports, sponsored by Richard Aznar, chairman of the committee on laws. 

Bucao immediately called for the approval of the three committee reports.

The committee reports contain the creation of three different departments.

This prompted Villarante to stand before the podium to object to the insertion of the committee reports saying that he has not read the report prepared by Aznar, which he, being the vice chairman of the committee on laws, must first read the content of the report before he signs and endorse it for approval. 

“We cannot intelligently study the report because the copies were only given today (Tuesday’s session) for me to sign,” Villarante told the council. 

Aznar reasoned that he called for a committee hearing last Monday because they were at the convention of the Philippine Councilors League in Manila last week.

Aznar said all the members of the committee had been informed about the hearing but Villarante did not attend. 

“We value his opinion being a lawyer. He did not attend the committee hearing. Before, he would attend and his opinion is adopted,” Aznar said, adding that his issue on the creation of department heads is not an issue at all. 

Villarante, however, insisted that the matter on the creation on new departments at the city hall should be deliberated next week. 

“The issue here is, we (the minority) were only given copies now. We are not a rubber stamp here. We need to first read and study the report,” Villarante said. 

But Bucao reacted on the statement of Villarante saying that the majority members of the council are not a rubber stamp of the administration.

An emotional Bucao told Villarante to be careful with his words.

“Calling this chamber a rubber stamp, I beg to disagree. As long as I am the presiding officer, I don’t want to be called a rubber stamp,” Bucao told Villarante. 

Villarante told Bucao that he is not referring to the entire council as a rubber stamp.

“I did not say that the council is a rubber stamp. What I said, We (the opposition) are not a rubber stamp,” Villarante said.

It even escalated when Bucao told Villarante that since he became the vice mayor, he gave the minority vice chairmanship committees. 

“But do we have a committee chairmanship? Answer me,” Villarante said. 

Nobody from the opposition and administration members was able to pacify Bucao and Villarante while they argued.

Later on, Bucao apologized for his outbursts.

Cabigas and minority councilor Danilo Caballero, for their part, said there was nothing personal in the debate. (FREEMAN)