Manila Vice Mayor and City Council presiding officer John Marvin "Yul Servo" Nieto urged the members of the Manila City Council (MCC) to reflect among themselves, following a complaint filed by 17 city councilors against him and other council members regarding the alleged "secret session" held last July 23.
“Sa aking mga kasamang konsehal. Mga anak tingnan niyo ang sarili ninyo, ang mga performance ninyo sa konsehong ito sa mga nakaraang araw. Nabigyan niyo na ba ng pansin ang mga isyu na hinaharap ng ating lungsod? Nakakatulong ba kayong kayong maiangat ang antas ng buhay ng Manilenyo sa pamamagitan ng lehislatura? Saan nga ba napunta ang oras na dapat ay naglilingkod tayo sa bayan? (To my colleagues in the City Council, look at your performance in the council for the past few days. Have you considered the challenges now faced by the City of Manila? Have you helped to improve the lives of Manila constituents through legislature? Where did you spend the hours as public servants?)," Nieto said.
According to MCC, the council has been in a "stand-still mode" for the past few days in terms of discussing relevant resolutions that would benefit Manileños.
"The ruckus at MCC started a few sessions back, when certain councilors, for whatever reasons, be it personal or otherwise, made a big issue on prerogatives entitled to a presiding officer, such as calling for a recess during sessions to provide time for councilors to discuss among themselves, their differences on issues that are relevant in the promulgation of City Resolutions," the Office of the Vice Mayor said.
"Certain councilors would allegedly make insidious comments, if not a mockery of this prerogative, when they would comment 'kainan na naman (eating time again)'," it added.
Seventeen councilors, according to reports, have even claimed to be treated unfairly at the council.
Nieto also said that he felt betrayed as he is being blamed by Sangguniang Kabataan President Juliana Rae “Yanyan” Ibay for holding the release of SK development fund.
“Alam niyo po, hindi ito panahon para manira ng kapwa o magpalaganap ng misinformation sa ating lungsod. Para sa kaalaman ng lahat ng kabataang Manilenyo, hindi ko iniipit ang pondo ng SK at walang katotohanan ang kahit anong paratang na kumakalat laban sa akin. Bakit ko iipitin? Eh hangarin kong dumami ang programa sa inyo (You know, now is not the time for back stabbing or misinformation. For the information of all SK members, I’m not holding the release of SK funds. Why should I? I even want to have more programs for the youth),” the vice mayor said.
He also said that the SK president is not performing her duties well on representing the youth in the council.
Nieto noted that their records show that Ibay never called for a hearing to discuss complaints from the SK committee members and that she had never passed an ordinance for the Committee on Youth Welfare and Sports Development to discuss.
"Sa session magpapa-attendance ka lang tapos aalis ka na (During sessions, you come for the attendance record and you leave as you wish), he added.
He said the issues hurt him as he considers them as their children. He also assured the MCC members that he will remain fair and will rule on issues based on the council’s majority consensus.
Nieto reminded the councilors of their commitment as public servants and quoted the words of the late US President John F. Kennedy that says, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for our country.”