A city councilor in Tagbilaran has defended a controversial resolution aimed at formally withdrawing support for a reclamation project, amid accusations of political maneuvring.
Councilor Malvin "Atoy" Torralba has filed a resolution to remove the original proponent status from the Tagbilaran Waterfront Development Corporation (TWDC), which had proposed a bay reclamation project.
Torralba insists the move is not politically motivated, but a necessary step to conclusively end the reclamation proposal.
However, Vice Mayor Adam Jala has suggested the resolution is designed to create political controversy.
The dispute centers on a proposed land reclamation project in Tagbilaran Bay, which has been effectively shelved by the city’s current mayor, Jane Yap.
In December 2023, the city council passed a resolution supporting the mayor’s decision to halt the project.
Torralba, who was the top-polling councilor in the 2022 elections and a political opponent of Mayor Yap, maintains that his action is part of his official duties.
He argues that as long as the original proponent status remains unrevoked, the possibility of reclamation remains open.
The vice mayor has criticised Torralba’s move, describing it as resurrecting a "long dead issue" and warning against using the city council for political purposes.