Margot O eyed to take over council budget committee

She was recently announced as a potential Cebu City mayoralty bet of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) party for the 2013 race.

Now Cebu City Councilor Margot Osmeña is   being considered for the council’s powerful budget and finance committee as part of changes leading up to the July 1 inaugural session.

“I will accept the committee chairmanship offer only if they (the council) will promise that they will give me their support and trust,” Osmeña told Cebu Daily News.

Margot, who was a bank manager in Los Angeles before she and husband Tomas moved back to Cebu in 1988, said she was up to the challenge.

The possible change was confirmed by the incumbent committee chairman,  Councilor Jose Daluz III.

He said  he offered the committee to first time councilors like Osmeña since he is on his third and last term.

It won’t happen though, if Mayor Michael Rama can stop it.

He met yesterday with Daluz and persuaded him to remain as committee chairman.

The mayor also met with  Councilors Edgar Labella, Sisinio Andales and Rodrigo Abellanosa at his office .

He asked Labella to also hold on as commitee on laws chairman.

Rama later told reporters that the meeting was called to “discuss public service” with the four councilors but gave no details.

Daluz said Rama called for the meeting to explain why he left the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan, a departure he announced last Thursday.

The mayor also asked for the council’s continued support for his administration’s policies and programs.   “We told him that we have the same goal which is public service,” Daluz said.

Daluz said the council will meet with Vice Mayor Joy Young this week to discuss the council committee chairmanships in preparation for the July 1 inaugural session.

July 1 marks one year since their elected term after the May 2011 election.

He said he first  offered the finance committee post to Councilor Noel Wenceslao in a swap with his urban planning committee chairmanship.

Since Wenceslao declined the swap, Daluz said he considered councilors Osmeña, Jun Pe and Alvin Dizon as alternatives.

Daluz said the finance committee “can be handled by anyone because you will always have the support of the budget officer.  Anyway the finance does not approve the budget.  the mayor decides.  The budget committee chairman is just a recipient of proposals.”

Vice Mayor YOung said he was hopeful that after a “cooling off period”, the mayor and Congressman Osmeña, BO-PK chief, would patch up their differences.

Daluz said discussions on committee chairmanship was considered even before Rama left the BO-PK. Doris C. Bongcac and Edison delos Angeles