A Davao City councilor is eyeing an ordinance to strengthen safeguards for cooperatives, following the controversy surrounding the Agdao Multi-Purpose Cooperative, which has put the savings of more than 58,000 members at risk.

Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, chairman of the Committee on Cooperative Development and People’s Participation, bared the plan during the Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos media forum Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 9.

Alejandre said that any legislation will depend on the outcome of the committee hearing Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod. He said his committee has to study the result of the hearing first.

He added that they will also wait for the Cooperative Development Authority and the City Cooperative Development Office’s recommendations since they oversee the day-to-day operations of cooperatives.

“If no law covers this matter, we may propose a local ordinance to avoid similar conflict from happening again,” Alejandre said, emphasizing that the move seeks to prevent the mismanagement of cooperative funds.

The councilor said the hearing will serve as an inquiry into the status of the AMPC, which has thousands of members from various areas aside from Davao City, amid a leadership dispute that has already reached the Court of Appeals.

“We will not tackle the merit of the case nor intervene. We want an update from the AMPC. That money does not belong to the management – it belongs to the members. The AMPC should be responsible enough to answer the queries,” he said.

Alejandre asked the cooperative’s interim or new management to submit a position paper before their committee hearing next week. He urged both factions involved in the conflict and concerned agencies to participate.

“The members have the right to know what is happening. We will listen to the CDA and the city cooperative to find out the AMPC’s current situation,” the councilor said, emphasizing that the committee hearing is meant to protect members’ investments.

Alejandre said the move was prompted by a letter he received on Aug. 13 from Josephine Pasilang, who identified herself as the new AMPC chairperson elected during a Special Representative Assembly in 2024.

Pasilang alleged negligence and bad faith by the previous board of directors and general manager, accusing them of refusing to relinquish control of the cooperative.

A video last March depicting members forcibly entering the main branch of the cooperative in Obrero was widely circulated, an incident directly tied to the concerns raised in the letter.

Alejandre said he is not siding with any faction and noted that cases related to the leadership row are already pending in court. He added he is bringing this forward to serve the best interests of the people of Davao City.