CITY COUNCIL REVAMP: Espinosa’s allies removed from committee chairmanships

LOILO City Councilor Plaridel Nava (left) walks past colleague Eduardo Peñaredondo during their regular session on Oct 9, 2018.

TWO allies of Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III lost their committee chairmanships following a revamp at the City Council during the regular session on Oct 9, 2018.

The “casualties in the revamp were Councilors Eduardo “Ed” Peñaredondo and R Leoni Gerochi.

The revamp was carried out by a strange hodgepodge of councilors identified with rival political factions – the camps of Rep. Jerry Treñas and former congresswoman Pacita Gonzalez.

The rigodon took effect after the council approved the resolution sponsored by Councilor Plaridel Nava declaring vacant and filling up the following positions:

-floor leader,

-assistant floor leader,

chairmanship of the Committees on Rules, Ordinances, Resolutions, Style, Justice and Legal Affairs; Appropriations; Urban Planning, Housing and Land Development, Zoning, Expropriation, Assessment and Land Acquisition; and Transportation, Energy and Public Utilities.

Peñaredondo was ousted as floor leader as well as chair of the committees on Rules, Appropriations, and Zoning.

Gerochi was the assistant floor leader and used to chair the transportation committee.

Those who voted in favor of the resolution are Nava, Jay Treñas, Lady Julie Grace Baronda, Armand Parcon, Ely Estante, Joshua Alim, Marie Irene Ong, and Leila Luntao.

Nava and Alim are with the Gonzalez group while the rest are identified with Rep. Treñas.

LOSS OF CONFIDENCE

In his privilege speech prior to the approval of the resolution, Nava said majority of the council members “have lost their trust and confidence” in the leadership of Peñaredondo and Gerochi.

“The Council has become a lap dog of the present administration. We must institute reforms so the reorganization is important,” Nava said.

Nava is now the new floor leader while Baronda is the assistant floor leader.

Nava also chairs three committees, except the Zoning committee which was given to Treñas.

Councilor Tupas suggested that for the reason of fairness, all positions should be declared vacant and made available to other officials.

But Nava refused to incorporate Tupas’ suggestion saying he will stick to his original resolution.

After the passage of the resolution, Gerochi said he would also relinquish his two other chairmanship – Committee on Public Services, Environmental Protection and Ecology as well as Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

But Nava said Gerochi should file a formal resignation to be submitted to Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon.

POLITICS?

Peñaredondo believes that politics is behind the resolution of Nava and that the move is in preparation for the 2019 midterm elections.

He said the revamp is a product of a “working alliance” between Nava’s camp and that of Iloilo City lone district Rep. Jerry Treñas.

Peñaredondo is with Espinosa who is facing Rep. Treñas in the 2019 mayoral race.

“Who can imagine that there will be some kind of alliance between Nava-Joshua (Alim) group and that of Treñas group? But you know in politics, things can happen,” he said.

He said he could not fathom what Nava will benefit from said “alliance” as the latter is also rumored to be running for vice mayor but not under Treñas’ camp. Nava has also been a consistent critic of the congressman.

“The alliance is not absolute. In politics, there is nothing personal. You can always negotiate with your enemies,” he said.

Gerochi said he is no longer surprised with the movement as “everything is part of the dynamics of politics.”

He said the revamp is something the Espinosa camp expected long time ago.

“It is actually an exercise of politics man. Even if election is still far, it is still politics,” he said.

Peñaredondo also hit Vice Mayor Ganzon for allegedly “silencing” their camp. During the voting stage, Espinosa’s allies requested to be recognized to air their side but Ganzon said everyone was already given their time to speak.

Ganzon is running as Rep. Treñas’ vice mayor.

“I was surprised because Vice Mayor Ganzon is a friend of mine. Daw indi niya ko pagpahambalon. Daw indi naman na husto,” he said.

Gerochi said it is only natural that there was no alleged free discussion during the voting as the “agenda have already been set.”

“It speaks volumes of how the City Council was handled,” he said.

Peñaredondo and Gerochi stressed that they have been effective in his chairmanship works.

2019 BUDGET

It is also speculated that the revamp at the City Council is in line with the passage of the proposed budget of the city government for 2019 amounting to P2.3 billion.

Peñaredondo said that without the “rigodon,” they initially aimed to approve the budget by middle of December.

“It will depend on negotiations. These people are also our friends. We can also talk to them and let them understand that the budget is important,” he said.

Gerochi said that with the Appropriation committee now transferred to Nava, it will now be hard for them to defend the budget.

“Indi na namon ma-depensahan eh. Sila na ya ma-deliberate. Maka-ask kami pero sila na na ma-decide kun iduso or indi,” Gerochi said.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

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