IN early July 2022, seven Dagupan City councilors who comprise the new majority, marched inside the Sangguniang Panlungsod hall, their heads high, unabashedly paraded themselves as the bright, well-informed, competent members of the LiFe political team.  They even made certain that they were properly identified and seen wearing their blue campaign uniforms on special days when they should be seen united in purpose whether passing resolutions and ordinances or in a crucial debate with the “losers” – the minority.

Fast forward to March-April 2023. The seven are finally exposed for what they really are – greedy, insensitive manipulative, disrespectful, abusive and hypocritical public servants. Proof? They passed an ‘anti-people’ 2023 Annual Investment Program. As if that was not enough, they passed an ‘anti-poor’ Annual Budget knowing they would throw more than 1,000 city hall laborers out of jobs, hundreds of barangay workers and volunteers without allowances, and 2,500 college scholars without scholarships at the very least.

It was evidently the seven councilors’ final and ultimate act to avenge former Mayor Brian Lim’s reelection defeat, and to retaliate for the rejection of their demand for “10 job order employees” equivalent to P100,000 in allowances monthly.

But since Mayor Belen Fernandez made history by vetoing both the detestable AIP and annual budget, that’s over for now.

The next order of the day – File administrative and criminal charges. And, it must start with the filing of complaints vs. the ex-city officials of the city government who during the Lim administration pocketed scholarship funds, made fictious purchases and destroyed public records.

It behooves the Fernandez administration that already made public documents to prove its cases to file the complaints. Failing this will only encourage current officials to duplicate these criminal acts without thought of any accountability to Mayor Belen.

Then, the seriously affected city hall employees, volunteers and students who were targeted for deprivation by the seven councilors should not balk at filing cases against the seven councilors who plotted against them. They must pay for their political crimes.

The seven councilors who should be made to account for their anti-people, anti-poor actions are Redford Erfe-Mejia, Celia Lim, Irene Lim-Acosta, Librada Reyna- Macalanda, Alvin Coquia, Alfie Fernandez and Marilou Fernandez.

Never forget, indeed!

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