2 weeks Ago By Ferdinandh Cabrera
COTABATO, Philippines – Tensions flared at the city council on Tuesday, October 29, as Cotabato Mayor Bruce Matabalao walked out of a hearing called to investigate an alleged shortage of funds for salaries of thousands of city hall workers. The shortage reportedly resulted in the layoff of about 3,000 contract-of-service workers at city hall. The situation escalated when Councilor Hunyn Abu asked that Matabalao, through the Local Finance Committee, provide documents he previously posted on social media that detailed fund allocations.
Matabalao approached the podium and asked a city budget official to respond. “We can provide a copy from the LFC,” the budget officer responded. Abu replied, “We have to receive it now, at this very moment.
” Taken aback, Matabalao moved to speak at the podium, but the vice mayor interrupted. “Please wait to be recognized by the chair, as we have rules to follow,” Abu said. Irked, Matabalao responded, “May pa rules-rules pa kayo (You’re talking about rules now).
You invited me here for the 3,000 COS workers, not for these documents,” he said angrily, insisting that the session’s rules had been suspended. The mayor added, “You are the one out of order, and earlier you were all disorderly for not having the LFC certification we sent. We came here in good faith.
” A video of the session shows the mayor becoming visibly agitated before leaving the hearing. The walkout has since sparked controversy and raised questions about the city government’s financial transparency. City council members expressed frustration with the mayor’s actions, with some calling for further investigation.
“Very practical – that’s why we invited them to shed light on the layoffs,” Vice Mayor Butch Abu said in a press briefing. “What happened earlier was simply about enforcing the council’s internal rules and procedures.” The vice mayor and the councilor are siblings.
They are the children of the late Ghazali Jaafar, former vice chair for political affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and later chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC). Butch has filed his certificate of candidacy to challenge the reelection bid of Matabalao under the Lakas-CMD-SIAP alliance . Matabalao has also filed for reelection as a candidate of the MILF-backed United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), which recently allied with the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
’s party. In 2022, Matabalao and Vice Mayor Abu ran in tandem under UBJP, opposing then-mayor Cynthia Guiani’s administration. The three are set to face off for the mayoralty in the 2025 election.
– Rappler.com.
