‘HATING KAPATID’: Majority ‘doles out’ four vacant SP committees to minority bloc

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

AFTER securing 24 out of the 28 committee chairmanships in the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Iloilo City, “Team Uswag” bloc will “share” the four remaining vacant committees to the minority group.

This was confirmed by the new SP Majority Floor Leader, Councilor Rommel Duron.

“Apat ka komitiba na lang ang bilin. Ang Committee on Labor, Employment, Manpower Development and Placement ihatag kay Councilor Candice Tupas; ang Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries Aquatic and Natural Resources kay Councilor Lyndon Acap; Committee on Communication and Public Information kay Councilor Mandrie Malabor; and ang Committee on Moral Recovery para kay Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo,” he said.

The four belong to the group of former mayor Jose Espinosa III.

Meanwhile, Team ‘Uswag’ bloc is composed of Duron, Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, Lady Julie Grace Baronda, Jay Treñas, Ely Estante Jr., Councilors Jojo Javellana, Allan Zaldivar and Rudolf Ganzon Irene Ong, and Leila Luntao. They ran under the ticket of Mayor Jerry Treñas.

The majority bloc as expected cornered the top committees, with Duron as the new majority floor leader aside from heading the Committees on Transportation, Energy, and Public Utilities and two other committees.

Jay Treñas will head the Committee on Appropriations while Zaldivar, another newbie, will head the Committee on Health, Sanitation, and Hospital Services.

Javellana will take charge of the Committee on Police, Fire, Penology, Public Safety, Order and Security and Rudolph Ganzon will be the chairman of Committee on Tourism, Cultural and Historical Affairs.

In previous interviews, Tupas has admitted that she would prefer to head her old committees like the Committee on Health and Tourism.

But nevertheless, she assured that she would still continue to advance her advocacies even without her old committees.

Meanwhile, Peñaredondo has also intimated that he is willing to work hand in hand with the majority bloc even without a committee.