No CH special body abolished yet – lawyers

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government has clarified that none of the 57 special bodies and commissions that Mayor Tomas Osmeña ordered reviewed has been abolished.

 Lawyers Daisy Mae Garong and Anthony Sing said the memorandum quoted in the news report only directed all special bodies and commissions to submit their accomplishment report.

 "As of July 26, wala pa gyoy gi-abolish. Not one of the 57 special bodies was abolished by the local chief executive. Since majority of them were created by an ordinance, the mayor himself knows that he cannot abolish the special bodies automatically," Garong told The FREEMAN.

As of yesterday, Sing said at least 23 out of 57 special bodies and commissions in the city have submitted their accomplishment reports, minutes, and resolutions for fundings.

Osmeña earlier announced the possibility of closing 90 offices and special bodies in the city, saying several of these have no minutes in the meetings, no resolutions passed but are expending so much. The mayor made the announcement immediately after he assumed office on June 30.

But Osmeña acknowledged that these offices and special bodies will not be automatically closed for as long as they can justify their existence.

"All the mayor said in the letter, they were asked to submit their accomplishment reports, minutes, attendance, as well as resolutions disbursing funds to justify their existence. But, the mayor did not state in the memorandum that these special bodies will be abolished automatically," Garong said.

She said that those special bodies and commissions are given until July 31 to submit their reports justifying their existence in the past 12 months.

These special bodies were asked to submit accomplishment for the past 12 months, approved resolutions, record of attendance of the members, and resolution disbursing funds.

Garong said majority of the 57 special bodies have been formed by an ordinance and that they cannot be closed automatically.

"If your body has been formed by ordinance and cannot be closed, the members of said bodies will be relieved of their positions by that date," Osmeña's letter to the special bodies read.  Garong and Sing were tasked by the mayor to evaluate these special bodies. From 90 offices, Garong said they focused on 57 special bodies and commissions.

She said they did not include the attached bodies under the main special bodies and commissions like the Fort San Pedro Office, Cebu City Zoo Office, among others.

As of now, Garong said they are still evaluating the 23 special bodies that have submitted their reports. She said they will be assessing these special bodies on legal basis, course of action of each bodies, and remarks or violations, if any.

Meanwhile, acting mayor Edgardo Labella said they, together with the members of Cultural Historical Affairs Commission, are preparing the report to justify the existence of the commission, which he used to sit as chairman. (FREEMAN)