DAGUPAN Mayor Belen Fernandez thanked the Office of the Ombudsman for dismissing the criminal and administrative cases filed by the former majority in the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) against her, Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, and six other city officials, five of whom were members of the past minority bloc who passed an ordinance that adopted the city’s 2023 annual budget.

Fernandez said that the dismissal of these cases proved that the passage of the ordinance on September 26, 2023 – already very late in the year for the budget due to delays caused by the majority councilors – was in order and above board.

The ordinance was passed by Councilors Michael Fernandez, Jeslito Seen, Dennis Canto, Marcelino Fernandez, and then Sanggunian Kabataan Federation Chairman Joshua Bugayong, all of the minority bloc.

In her counter-affidavit submitted before the Ombudsman, Fernandez said politics played by the seven majority councilors was the main reason for the budget delay to the prejudice of the people of Dagupan.

The ordinance was only passed when the five-man SP minority seized the opportunity in passing the measure as three members of the majority opposed to the administration of Mayor Fernandez — Celia Lim, her daughter Irene Lim-Acosta, and Alipio Serafin Fernandez —were on leave and vacationing abroad, and the four who remained, opted to join the session using online, but eventually logged out.

The criminal and administrative cases were filed by Councilors Librada Reyna-Macalanda, Maria Lourdes Fernandez, Alvin Coquia and Redford Erfe-Mejia. The four petitioned for declaratory relief before Branch 76 of the Regional Trial Court of Dagupan, but this was dismissed.

The mayor, who was included in these suits despite her non-involvement in legislation, said she was glad the Office of the Ombudsman saw that the passage of that annual budget by the five minority councilors while their colleagues were on Zoom app and later logged out and the others were vacationing abroad, was right and proper.

Councilor Reyna-Macalanda, the lone opposition candidate who survived the election on May 12, 2025, was then the majority floor leader of the past Sanggunian.

“Why did they still file those suits as those programs, projects and services set to be funded by the 2023 annual budget were meant to help our fellow Dagupenos?” Fernandez wryly asked.  “They should have instead supported this because it was meant to help the people of Dagupan.” (Leonardo Micua) 

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