Cebu City Councilor Pastor ‘Jun’ Alcover has questioned the practicality of the ‘Mayor of the Night’ program following discussions on the proposed P12 million rental for the program’s base office at IT Park for three years during the City Council session yesterday.
In an interview with reporters, Alcover said the issue lies not in the proposed rental payment, but in the collective decision of the council to implement the ‘Mayor of the Night’ program. According to him, it appeared that the council had not yet approved the program, yet there was already a move to seek budget appropriation for the rental of the offices.
During the session, the council referred the resolution to the Committee on Budget and Finance for review, comments, and recommendations. When a further motion was made to refer the matter to the Committee on Laws, Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña explained that they were under ‘pressure’ to open the ‘Mayor of the Night’ offices by January 1, 2026.
According to Osmeña, while he understood the need to seek the Committee on Laws’ opinion, any delay in approval would prevent them from making the downpayment and securing the property by January.
‘So if there are any reservations, now is the appropriate time, but right now we cannot simply afford any delay by referring it to the Committee on Laws,’ said Osmeña.
With this, the council called for a recess. When the session resumed, the council approved a motion to seek the opinion of both the Committee on Budget and Finance and the City Legal Office (CLO) on the proposal.
It was during this recess that Alcover later revealed a heated discussion had erupted among council members. According to him, the council had not yet been asked whether they approved the implementation of the program itself.
‘Mura mag sigeng-sigeng mi nga aprobahan ni kay molarga si Tomas, and ikaduha aprobahan ni aron dili kapa abangan og lain, mura nag negotiate na sila og rental nga wala pay approval sa Mayor of the Night,’ said Alcover.
Alcover expressed concern over the large sum involved in the project. He also questioned the need for such a program, pointing out that the city already has an elected mayor.
‘Ang mayor nga atong gipili usa raman gyud, si Mayor Nestor Archival, mayor 24 hours a day,’ said Alcover.
According to him, it was members of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) party who allegedly insisted on approving the resolution. He added that during the discussion, he expressed that if they pushed through with the approval, he would object-potentially leading to a division of the house.
While Alcover agreed to the referral of the proposal to the appropriate committee and the CLO, he said he does not agree with the practicality of the project.
‘Wa gyud ko makauyon ani. usik-usik ni sa kwarta,’ said Alcover.
During the session, the body tackled a letter from Vice Mayor Osmeña dated September 26, requesting authorization for the mayor to enter into a multi-year lease contract for office space at Cebu IT Park in Lahug.
The proposed office would serve as a one-stop shop for the ‘Mayor of the Night’ program from 2026 to 2028, with a total lease amounting to P12,501,144, including advance and security deposits.
As indicated in the letter, the program aims to provide 24/7 government services to business process outsourcing (BPO) workers, nurses, drivers, and other night-shift employees. It also seeks to enhance safety by ensuring accessible government transactions and transport services during nighttime hours.
Among the agencies listed as participants in the planned one-stop shop are the Social Security System (SSS), Pag-IBIG Fund, Land Transportation Office (LTO), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), PhilHealth, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and other local offices offering city services.
The annual lease was proposed at P4.32 million in 2026, P4.45 million in 2027, and P2.29 million for the first half of 2028, with a monthly rental estimate of P360,000, inclusive of taxes and utilities.
While the intention is to house the one-stop shop services in this office, Alcover raised concerns about whether there is already an agreement with national government offices to deploy employees to man these offices at night. He sought clarification on whether such arrangements had already been formalized through a written commitment.
He also flagged the lack of structure in the program, noting that it had jumped directly to the lease proposal without foundational approval.
‘Para nako it is unconstitutional kay wala man na sa provision sa Local Government Code nga dunay mayor of the night, kay usa raman ka mayor atong gipili. and I think it is illegal,’ said Alcover.
‘So in short, mohunong ang pagka-mayor ni Archival inig alas sais ba?’ he further asked.
According to Alcover, it would be more practical to set up a satellite office in upland barangays to accommodate residents who find it difficult to access services at City Hall.
In line with this, he called on the executive department to reconsider the project, adding that it may not be appropriate for the vice mayor to push such initiatives, stressing that his role is to serve as presiding officer of the City Council.