STRIKE ONE FOR 2024

THE majority bloc in the Sangguniang Panlungsod flatly rejected the submitted supplemental budget granting P20,000 Special Recognition Incentive to regular employees and P5,000 one-time gratuity pay to job order and contractual employees of the city government.

The reason? Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia of the majority bloc, claimed they would be violating the subjudice rule of the court if they discuss any issue or proposed ordinance relating to the city’s annual budget because they have filed cases in court and the Ombudsman questioning the validity of the passage of the 2023 annual budget.

Rejected during the Special Session called by Mayor Belen Fernandez last Thursday December 28 were the Supplemental  Budget No. 2 appropriating P36,090,000 for the SRI and gratuity pay of employees, including the purchase of some vehicles and equipment for the Waste Management Division, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and additional outlay for the Public Alert Response and Monitoring Center, and the Supplemental Budget No. 1 allocating P339,359,536.50 for various flood mitigation and other projects of the city government.

Erfe-Mejia said the majority also filed cases against SP Secretary Ryan Ravanzo and Vice Mayor Bryan Kua as presiding officer before the Ombudsman for falsification of documents.

Erfe-Mejia even attributed the decision to file cases to the opinion of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Budget and Management who maintained that it’s only the court that can decide whether the passage of the questioned appropriation ordinance is irregular or not.

The majority bloc then refused to allow Mayor Belen Fernandez to address the Special Session and explain the urgency and the right of the employees to the benefits provide by law, specifically Executive Order No. 12, series of 2023 issued by President Marcos.

They also prevented City Legal Officer Atty. Aurora Valle from explaining and questioning the subjudice rule  invoked by the majority.

And when Councilor and Minority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez attempted to compel the majority to pass the supplemental budget, they blocked it with objections, voting was called resulting in 7- 4 votes, in favor of the majority’s position.

At one point, Councilors Erfe-Mejia and Alvin Coquia challenged the minority to withdraw the 2023 annual budget so that a new budget and all its subsequent supplemental budgets would be passed.

But Councilor Michael Fernandez and his four colleagues promptly countered that the enacted 2023 annual budget was validly passed, citing the DBM’s declaration that it was “operative in its entirety”.

Fernandez also warned that if 2024 annual budget is not passed till the end of 2023, the SP cannot discuss any others matter except the budget beginning its session in January.

Councilors Alfie Fernandez, Celia Chua-Lim, Irene Lim-Acosta, Marilou Fernandez, Erfe-Mejia and Coquia merely shrugged their shoulders. (Leonardo Micua)

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