BAGUIO CITY – – Laws provide meaningful and realistic ways to help the poor and contribute to the building of a peaceful and just society.
This was the pledged priority move of Councilor Faustino Olowan in the next three years as chair of the Committee on Laws.
Councilor Olowan, a lawyer, got the chairmanship of this all-important committee despite the fact he belonged to the minority bloc. He ran under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) slate. All others in the slate for the position of councilor lost.
“I am committed even more to protect the people’s rights at the Sangguniang Panlungsod. This is what I will do now as chair of the Committee on Laws,” Councilor Olowan said.
In an exclusive interview with the ZigZag Weekly, Atty. Olowan vowed to work harder to advance the interest of the marginalized sectors.
“Laws are passed to show that the government cares for its people and we should be able to show a sense of hope to our countrymen,” he stressed.
Practically all proposed measures- resolutions and ordinances for that matter- are initially referred to the Committee on Laws.
Members of the Committee on Laws are Councilors Edgar Avila and Benny Bomogao, both lawyers. Likewise, both are with the Timpuyog ti Baguio- United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
While knowledge of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code among others and the 1987 Philippine Constitution are important, the conduct of public hearings or consultations as well as the opinions expressed by the committee is deemed essential in enacting a law.
As chair of the committee, Councilor Olowan is expected to enlighten authors of resolutions and ordinances on the legal bearings of their measures. He is also in a position to initiate dialogues and urge them to review the merits of the proposed measures.
A committee is usually tasked to conduct a hearing as a means of determining the pros and cons of the issues at hand in relation to a proposed measure. It may prescribe penalties for violators of the law.
Councilor Olowan may express his opinion on the measure’s legal standing- if there are impediments or infirmities to be corrected- most especially if the chair and or members of the committee are non-lawyers.
Former Councilor Richard Carino chaired the Committee on Laws from 2013 to 2016, while Councilor Olowan chaired the Committee on Public Works on the same period.
In the past, Olowan held the chairmanship of the Committees on Public Market, Trade and Commerce as well as Urban Planning, Lands and Housing.
Largely, in such capacity, Councilor Olowan was lauded for ensuring harmonized engagement with barangay councils, non-government organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations.
“The secret is to integrate well with them and to take immediate actions on the problems of the people,” he explained.
Olowan, 51, also made contributions to improving the conditions of urban poor dwellers, women and the youth.
He obtained his degree in law from then Baguio Colleges Foundation (now the University of the Cordilleras) in 1994.
He also served as punong barangay of Lucnab from 2010 to 2013.
The 14-member Sangguninang Panlungsod or City Council, a key governing body of the nation’s summer capital, is still dominated by the Timpuyog ti Baguio, the party of Mayor Mauricio Domogan of which there are five lawyers since Vice Mayor Edison Bilog belongs to the same profession. The vice mayor is his party mate.
“We should also be mindful of the sentiments, needs and problems of our people, most especially the poor,” Councilor Olowan pointed out.
He strongly argued for the need of the city government to rethink its priorities in order to address longstanding problems of the people, more particularly those in remote and underserved barangays. There are 128 villages in the city. Many of them are not as developed as those in the central business district.
Presently, Councilor Olowan is a member of the Committees on Public Protection and Safety, Peace and Order and Public Utilities, Transportation and Traffic Legislation. **By Anthony A. Araos
