Council Confirms Rama Appointees

Weeks after being deferred, the Cebu City Council finally moved to confirm the appointments of  Mayor Michael Rama’s two co-terminus appointees.

The appointments of lawyers Jose Marie Poblete, as city administrator and Jerome Castillo as City Legal Officer are finalized following the concurrence of the council after both appeared before the legislative body for some queries on Wednesday’s session.

Section 454 of the Local Government Code provides that the appointments of department heads needs the concurrence of the council. This also includes the appointments of the other positions that are co-terminus with the sitting mayor.

Councilor Gerard Carillo said that both co-terminus appointees were invited to appear for them to know their plans for the respective offices that they are going to serve. Castillo was called first to answer some queries by the councilors, giving the council updates of the status of the city government’s pending cases.

Poblete then followed Castillo in appearing before the council. He stated the functions of the City Administrator’s Office, as well as his role as the concurrent head of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO).

Councilors’ Margot Osmeña and Nida Cabrera wanted to clarify Poblete’s designation by the mayor in CPDO since former CPDO head Alipio Bacalso is still holding the plantilla position of the city planning officer.

Castillo was newly appointed by Mayor Rama to head the City Legal Office while Poblete was re-appointed as City Administrator for a second term. The two are among the three positions at City Hall that are co-terminus with the present mayor. The other one is the city information officer. (Gessa Gunhuran, PIO Staff)