FOLLOWING the declaration by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) that the 2023 annual budget of Dagupan is “inoperative in its entirety,”  Mayor Belen Fernandez said she will not make the people responsible for it to get away with it.

Speaking through City Information Officer Dave Paragas, Mayor Belen Fernandez said she will definitely take legal action against the seven members of the majority, Councilors Redford Erfe-Mejia, Celia Lim, Irene Lim-Acosta, Librada Reyna-Macalanda, Alfie Fernandez, Alvin Coquia and Marilou Fernandez, who made a mockery of the annual budget.

He quoted the mayor saying “I will definitely not take the matter just sitting down.”

Paragas said City Legal Officer Aurora Valle confirmed Mayor Fernandez’s thoughts and plans for the seven councilors who passed the defective annual budget who she considered as  “accountable to the people and the law.”

It will be recalled that, Mayor Fernandez and Valle went to the Department of the Interior and Local Government two weeks ago and already referred the matter but at the time, she said she was not at liberty to disclose what was taken up in their meeting.

Meanwhile, Paragas also said Mayor Fernandez is also amenable to the recommendation of the DBM to submit another annual budget for consideration to the SP.

The decision to submit another annual budget was discussed in a meeting called by Mayor Fernandez, attended by Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, Councilors Michael Fernandez, Jeslito Seen, Dennis Canto, Marcelino Fernandez and Joshua Bugayong, City Legal Officer Valle, and Executive Assistant Luz de Guzman.

According to Paragas, Mayor Fernandez is also seeking legal device from other lawyers in the city and in Manila. (Leonardo Micua)

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