VM TELLS OFF MAYOR

A STORMY session is seen on Tuesday when the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Dagupan will hold its regular session with the inclusion of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) in the agenda, whose inclusion is being opposed personally by Vice Mayor and SP Presiding Officer Brian Lim.

Mr. Lim had warned SP Secretary Ryan Ravanzo on Friday not to include the CLUP in the agenda for second reading but the latter said that under the rules of the SP, it is not the presiding officer that dictates the agenda but the majority floor leader, in this case, Councilor Maybelyn Fernandez.

Ms. Fernandez had directed the inclusion of the CLUP in the second reading with a letter of rejoinder (dissenting opinion) signed by four city councilors, namely Jose Neto Tamayo, Marvin Fabia, Jeslito Seen and Karlos Reyna, to the recommendation signed by Councilor Alfie Fernandez, chairman on land utilization committee, and Redford Erfe Mejia, minority floor leader, that the CLUP should be subject of further study.

Councilors Tamayo, Fabia, Seen and Reyna contend when they issued the rejoinder attesting that the public hearing conducted on the CLUP were made by the committees on laws, and land utilization, thus it does not sit well if only the committee on land utilization is issuing the committee report.

In their rejoinder to Councilor Alfie Fernandez’s committee report, Messrs. Tamayo, Fabia, Seen and Reyna argued that sufficient public hearings were already conducted and all sides were already heard.

The majority said the CLUP is a new set to replace the existing plan approved way back in 1978 during the term of then Mayor Cipriano Manaois.

There was an attempt to pass a new CLUP in 2003 during the administration of then Mayor Benjamin Lim but it failed to get the endorsement of the National Land Use Board.

In his letter to Mayor Belen Fernandez on June 2, Vice Mayor Lim–upon being informed that the former was calling a special session to pass the CLUP– stated that there is no urgency passing the CLUP.

He said that the committee report submitted by Councilor Alfie Fernandez, summarily recommended the further study of the “amendment” of the CLUP.

The recommendation was however met with a dissenting opinion from the four councilors in their rejoinder to the committee report which in effect recommended the passage of the CLUP.

The proposed CLUP which will be in effect from 2015 to 2025 will only need a simple majority to approve it.

A 3/4 vote of the SP members will be required if amendment is being introduced.

The SP has not met for two regular sessions for lack of quorum. (Leonardo Micua)

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