Mayor Al wants ‘Deputy Mayors’
WHAT’S in a name?
Not a big deal, if you ask Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr.
And so despite admonition from three city councilors, the mayor is proceeding with his announced plan to call barangay chairmen who will be heading new community clusters within the city as “deputy mayors”.
Fernandez stressed that there is nothing wrong with naming the cluster heads as “deputy mayors” even as the title is legally assigned to the city vice mayor because there is no point of comparison as to their functions.
“I don’t understand why they are comparing this (deputy mayor) with the vice mayor, which is an institution and which is created by law and also as chief executive officer in the formulation of guidelines and city policies,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez said a ‘deputy mayor’ can be recognized “not in the title but in the function” as the one deputized to the position can act as “deputy in the office of the city mayor”.
Under the local government code, the vice mayor also serves as the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod or Sangguniang Bayan.
Fernandez said the use of the title for someone other than the vice mayor is not new as bigger cities like Manila and Davao have ‘deputy mayors’ designated by their city mayors.
Under the proposed clustering plan, the barangays in the city will be grouped into bigger clusters, with each one being headed by one of the current barangay chairmen through an election among themselves. The position will not be permanent and will be rotated among them.
The clustering is welcomed by the members of the city council, recognizing that it can work well in the maintenance of peace and order and a more efficient delivery of socialservices and infrastructure projects.
City Information Officer Ryan Ravanzo, in a talk before the breakfast forum “Engkwentro sa Lenox” last week, also clarified that the “deputy mayor” set to be named by Fernandez is tantamount to a ceremonial officer.
“No office is being created, no rights and privileges are being conferred as this is just a name for the representative of Mayor Fernandez in the barangays,” Ravanzo said. —LM
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