By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

NOTHING can change the fact that the seven-majority members at the Dagupan sanggunian lost in their gamble in forcing the Belen Fernandez administration to give in to their initial demand for more fund allocations under the guise of ’10 job order employees at P10,000 per’ for each councilor by holding the 2023 annual budget hostage for as long as they could.

But it’s kaput. Say goodbye to the P100,000 monthly allowance… plus… plus!!

The sooner Dagupan Councilor Red Erfe-Mejia et al. (the obnoxious majority members at the Sangguniang Panlungsod) realize that they have been outsmarted and outflanked under their very noses, the sooner they can begin to shift mode, to think and act like true public servants and be relevant for a change.

And, only then will they have a good chance at salvaging their political careers, or whatever is left of it.

The 7 epaLiFes can keep on making the rounds of local media sympathetic to their cause, with their rants, calling out the members of the minority bloc for “railroading” the process, citing how their self-serving internal rules were violated. It’s ironic that the same group that habitually railroaded passage or rejection of resolutions and draft ordinances is now at the receiving end of a “railroading.”  What a comic situation.

In case they think they can continue with their shenanigans by resorting to their same old trick by blocking the 2024 annual budget, they obviously have no notion of what’s before them. The worst they can do to Dagupeños is force the Belen Fernandez administration to work with another reenacted budget! This time with a difference.

It will be reenacted budget of P1.38-B 2024!

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BIG BOOBOO. The 7epaLiFes only have themselves to blame for the fiasco that blew up their greed and ego sky high, one-time, big-time!

What went wrong?

It was their conceit, arrogance and condescending view that as a majority, they hold the ultimate power any time any day. They made themselves believe that their number as a bloc will never change whatever the circumstances like they’ve always done in the past, without fear. No measure passed with them as majority bloc

What they failed to realize is that majority is only determined by the number of votes that passed or rejected a resolution or ordinance. It is not even determined by a roll call because councilors are asked to confirm their presence as individuals to determine a quorum.

Majority is certainly never determined merely by the number of people who wear the same uniform they wear or statements they issue.

Blindsided by their conceit, they obviously agreed that the presence of Councilors Celia Lim, Irene Lim Acosta and Alfie Fernandez can be dispensed with at the September 26 regular session, and allow them to travel overseas by filing a leave of absence.  Then by their own rules, they insist that the three absentees as “members of the majority bloc” can be allowed to vote. (I dare them to cite a parliamentary rule where an absentee legislator is allowed to vote and whose vote should be counted.)

When the September 26 regular session was opened, technically, the majority and minority blocs were present except that only four of the majority bloc responded to the roll call while five of the minority bloc responded – meaning individual councilors accounted for their presence.

It’s incredulous to hear Councilors Erfe-Mejia, Dada Reyna, Alvin Coquia and Malou Fernandez think and act they still had the power of a majority even if only four out of seven of their bloc were present, against the five from the minority bloc. Their self-importance even became pronounced when they decided they would not be at the session hall but maintain their presence via zoom. Hey, what are they in power for, right?

But all too sudden, the majority bloc was faced with a horror of all horrors when the resolution was passed to include the 2023 budget in the agenda in their presence.  It was downhill all the way for the 7 epaLiFes from there.

They never imagined they would be made to experience what the minority bloc experienced – to be out-voted on any issue. Even their arguments objecting to the resolutions and the ordinance were like copy-pasted from the minority bloc’s opposition in the past.

Whoever taught the members of the majority bloc that the absence of three would not affect their power and authority should be hanged by the seven members themselves.

What a big stupid booboo!

So, to all politicians out there, understand the principles of democracy. It’s the actual numbers in voting that count when resolving issues on governance not by the perceived size of the bloc.

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HOW TO LEND MONEY AND STILL COLLECT. Here’s a piece of advice to Pangasinenses who lent money but cannot collect as promised by borrower! Or does someone owe you money but has gone “missing in action”?

Aware of the problems, Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano offered a solution during the Cayetano in Action (C.I.A.) with Boy Abunda program last October 1, 2023 that very few are aware of.

They said file a case before the Small Claims Court, a branch of the Supreme Court that is tasked to resolve minor disputes involving sums of money of P1 million and below.

The process does not require the service of a lawyer, and all forms for both the complaint and the defendant are freely available. The hearing and the judge’s decision are completed in one day.

“‘Pag may judgment na, whether sweldo niya o may property [na pwedeng kunin], mas madaling habulin na ‘yun pati ng sheriff ng korte,” Senator Alan told the teacher whose problem of colletion was raised during the televised CIA program.

He said since small claims cases are not criminal in nature, the process and resolutions are done quickly.

CIA with BA is an evolution of “Compañero y Compañera,” a radio and TV legal affairs show hosted by the late Senator Rene Cayetano, the father of Senators Alan and Pia, which aired from 1997 to 2001.

Through the program, the sibling-senators aim to explain to the viewers what their rights are protected while finding creative solutions to the legal problems of Filipinos.

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