“AS members of the City Council, councilors are primarily elected to formulate local laws,” thus, Cagayan de Oro Vice Mayor Jocelyn ‘Bebot’ Rodríguez said in a press briefing Monday afternoon.

Under her leadership, Rodriguez emphasized she expected that the most fundamental task for councilors is to achieve a strong sense of shared purpose and commitment.

Councilors must be prepared to initiate new policies and activities in response to the needs and desires of the community, said Rodriguez.

She even called on City Council members to file and pass not only one ordinance but as many as they can per year.

As an elected councilor, Rodriguez said he or she should be an active lawmaker and a contributing member of the city council.

Making considered and well-informed ordinances, advocating on behalf of their constituents, according to Rodriguez.

“We are obliged to follow it or else it would reflect that we are not doing our job,” Rodriguez pointed out.

She said she also wished to see to it that the councilors are working, mostly those who are in their respective committees.

“We just don’t get paid and do nothing as public servants,” said Rodriguez adding that they are chosen to make laws as one of their mandates at the 20th City Council.

Under the budget of a councilor per year, P1,146,360 was appropriated for every councilor for their committee services, under the Maintenance & other Operating Expenses (MOOE).

The other bulk of the budget of a councilor per year will go to the personal services at P2,782,930 followed by MOOE at P2,662,360, and capital outlay at P370,000 excluding the said budget on standing committee services.

The majority bloc barely left a single chairmanship or even a membership to the minority councilors in the City Council’s standing committees.

Based on the Local Government Code, a council member is entitled to be on at least one committee. The council determines the committee(s) on which the councilor sits.

All councilors in the majority chair at least two committee chairmanships, with at least three of them chairing three committees.

The minority earlier claimed the majority has subverted the law and made them hold chairmanships of committees not in their mandate.

Another aspect of the councilor’s role is to review policy, according to Rodriguez.

She said this involves assessing whether a policy is fulfilling the community’s needs at any given time and examining the costs associated with the policy’s implementation.

Rodriguez said councilors need to obtain relevant information from both community members and local government staff through appropriate channels.

Meanwhile, Councilor Yevonna Emano who earlier declined the arbitration committee chairmanship given by the majority bloc submitted her resignation letter for the post.

“It's so unfair for other minority councilors if I accept the said committee chairmanship,” said Emano.

She said she always ushers on her political party and her membership is always based on the party principles.

Rodriguez confirmed that no arbitration committee during the 19th city council.

“The council’s arbitration committee is the hardest as it focused on all the conflicts of the barangays. The chair of the said committee will always under compromise and at the losing end,” said Rodriguez.