Tomas: New Council house rules ‘won’t stop me from speaking out’

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña has maintained that the Cebu City Council’s newly adopted House Rules may restrict his participation during legislative proceedings but will not silence him from speaking out on issues affecting the city.

Responding for the first time after the council approved the revised internal rules, Osmeña claimed the amendments aimed to prevent him from airing his views during deliberations, particularly on major policy issues where he said his decades of experience could contribute to the discussions.

“Well, obviously, they don’t want me to talk,” Osmeña said in an interview.

READ: Council adopts new House rules, strips Tomas of key legislative powers

“I should just be like a moderator there. I can only be there to break a tie or something like that. Well, I don’t care. But basically, what the people have to know is that they like to silence me,” he added.

The vice mayor said he would continue to voice his positions outside council sessions despite the restrictions imposed by the new rules.

“I will just do what I’m entitled to do,” he said.

“I don’t mind not talking. It makes it easier. But there are so many rotten things that are going on that I cannot complain about inside the session.”

Osmeña argued that limiting the vice mayor’s participation ultimately deprives the public of hearing alternative views on major issues before the council.

“The losers are the people,” he said.

“So everything I know does not count. According to the councilors, they will not allow me to talk.”

‘People lose their voice’

Osmeña said the restrictions would affect not only him but also sectors whose concerns he often raises during council deliberations.

Asked whether groups such as Carbon Public Market vendors would also lose a voice in the legislative process, he agreed.

“Correct. But no, you’re not allowed, period,” he said, sarcastically comparing the vice mayor’s role under the new rules to someone expected only to preside over meetings.

READ: Barug-Kusug tightens grip on Cebu City Council, takes key committees

He also pointed out that while the vice mayor has the authority to cast a vote in the event of a tie, that power becomes largely irrelevant when one political bloc enjoys an overwhelming majority.

“The rule says you cannot. I can only break a tie. Why? There will be no tie because they’re the majority, so how can you break a tie?” he said.

Despite the limitations, Osmeña said he would continue opposing what he described as questionable government actions, including issues involving development projects and alleged corruption.

“I’ll just keep on fighting,” he said.

New rules redefine vice mayor’s role

The Cebu City Council on Tuesday adopted a new set of House Rules that substantially narrowed the vice mayor’s legislative functions by aligning the council’s procedures with DILG Opinion No. 95, Series of 2025.

READ: Jinggoy Estrada withdraws bid to attend Sara Duterte impeachment trial

Under the revised rules, the vice mayor serves primarily as the council’s presiding officer, tasked with maintaining order during sessions and voting only to break a tie.

The amendments removed provisions that previously allowed the presiding officer to relinquish the chair temporarily to participate in debates, sponsor legislative measures, or approve the filing of proposed ordinances and resolutions before they entered the legislative process.

Councilor Mikel Rama, vice chairman of the House Rules and Oversight Committee, earlier said the revisions simply brought the council’s rules into conformity with the Local Government Code and prevailing DILG legal interpretation.

The majority maintained that the vice mayor, as presiding officer, must remain impartial during legislative proceedings and therefore cannot exercise the same participatory powers as elected council members.

Although the council approved the revised House Rules, it also referred them back to the House Rules and Oversight Committee for further review and sought additional clarification from the DILG regarding legal issues raised during the deliberations.

Several majority councilors, including Councilor Philip Zafra and Councilor Paul Labra, likewise acknowledged concerns over both the drafting process and the extent of the restrictions, with Zafra saying he personally believed the vice mayor should still have the opportunity to express his views during discussions, considering Osmeña’s experience in public service.

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