IN an emotional speech during a special of session called by Mayor Belen Fernandez last December 30, again boycotted by the seven majority councilors, City Legal Officer Aurora Valle argued that the subjudice rule invoked by the seven could not be applied to justify the rejection of the Supplemental Budget for the Special Recognition Incentive (SRI) and gratuity pay of Dagupan City employees.

She told city government employees who packed the session hall of the Sangguniang Panlungsod that the subjudice rule cannot apply since there is no case quewtioning the passage of the 2023 annual budget is being tried in Court nor were the persons complained of already given notices or summons to answer.

And if there were cases, and granting that the persons complained of had already been given notices or summons, the Court itself will issue gag order to all parties to stop them from further discussing and commenting on the case on hand, she added. But there was no such gag order.

“This is what I would have told the Sanggunian had the majority members of that body allowed me to speak,” Valle rued, recalling how the SP special session on December 28 that junked all the Supplemental Budgets and Supplemental Investment Programs sought by the executive department.

Also not allowed to speak during that special session was Mayor Fernandez who was set to provide justification for the immediate passage of Supplemental Budget No. 2 and its complementary Supplemental Budget No. 3, in accordance with Executive Order No. 12, series of 2023 signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Being the city legal officer and in behalf of all the employees, I was forced to go to the Courts to verify the reason for the subjudice invoked by the majority,” she added.

She confirmed the only one filed and not even on trial was a petition for Declaratory Relief with Prohibitory Injunction filed by Vice Mayor Bryan Kua questioning the amended house  rules of the Sanggunian initiated by the majority in that body.

Calling on the members of the majority to have a clear conscience, Valle asked whether there’s a need to call the attention of President Marcos for disregarding his executive order directing the payment of SRI and Gratuity Pay of employees despite the availability of funds. And, whether the city government needs to resort to “harsher means in order to inform the national government of what is going on in Dagupan.”

Meanwhile the prescribed date for the Supplemental Budgets and proposed Supplemental Investment  Plans was  December 31, 2023.  (Leonardo Micua)

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