A COUP in the Cagayan de Oro City Council has unseated a key ally of the majority and brought out in the open the growing dissatisfaction over the way he had supposedly favored some councilors over others.
With 17 signatures, Ian Mark Nacaya was ousted as majority floor leader and replaced by lawyer Councilor Edgar Cabanlas during a session yesterday.
In a resolution declaring vacant the positions of presiding officer pro-tempore, majority floor leader, and assistant majority floor leader was all signed by 17 councilors including Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez.
Of the 18 members of the 20th City Council, only Nacaya did not sign the said motion.
This paper tried to contact Nacaya for his reaction but all calls to his number were not returned.
However, Councilors James Judith and Roger Abaday said the change of leadership was all about the agreed term-sharing of Nacaya and Cabanlas before the 20th City Council’s first regular session was held last year.
Judith and Abaday did not explain further as Councilor Nacaya according to them failed to cooperate with the said term-sharing with Cabanlas.
“Trust is the basic ground in all the positions that have been mentioned,” said Cabanlas during his acceptance speech.
Cabanlas did not specify if the said resolution cited Nacaya of “lack of trust and confidence” from the entire council as he was only saying they were at the City Council to serve at the pleasure of the body and the people of the city.
“It was the majority bloc who initiated the motion (resolution)," said Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said she had no knowledge and had nothing to do with the move made by the majority bloc themselves.
In a resolution, Rodriguez said members of the City Council have signified their intentions to undergo changes in the officers of the 20th City Council as provided for in its Internal Rules of Procedures (IRP) to further facilitate the accomplishment of its legislative agenda.
It added to elect the new Presiding Officer Pro Tempore, Majority Floor Leader, and Assistant Majority Floor Leader of the 20th City Council.
With Cabanlas, the two other councilors elected and assumed the new positions were Councilor Romeo Calizo, as Presiding Officer Pro Tempore, and Councilor Joyleen Mercedes Balaba as Assistant Majority Floor Leader.
Newly elected majority bloc leader Cabanlas thanked his colleagues for their trust and confidence.
“We will always be serving at the pleasure of the body and the people of Cagayan de Oro,” he said.
“You know me personally and officially,” said Cabanlas adding that he will be fair to all the members of the city council.
“I will be your servant and not by your master,” said Cabanlas.
He maintained that he will both serve the minority and the majority.
“I will be giving you fair share in every step of the proceedings,” he said adding that the only legacy that he will be leaving when he retires in the public service.
Cabanlas also served the same positions during the second term of former Mayor Vicente Emano and Vice Mayor Michelle Tagarda.
With that experience, Cabanlas assured the Council they would perform the best possible.
“What is important is that we will serve the people of the city to the best of our ability and the interest of the people above everything else,” Cabanlas stressed.
He also not failed to mention the sterling performance of Councilor Nacaya in primary the Council as leader of the City Council.
“Councilor Nacaya has done well and deserves to be recognized,” said Cabanlas.
Cabanlas is also hoping that with the new leadership, Nacaya will accept the mandate from the City Council.
Meanwhile, Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy in his comment on the City Council’s revamp said he respects the decision of the Council to change officers, like the election of Cabanlas as majority floor leader, replacing Councilor Nacaya.
The mayor said he is not privy to any discussion leading to the decision made by members of the city council.
The mayor said he would not dictate on the City Council, which is a co-equal branch of the executive department of the local government.
