ORDER FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

THREE opposition councilors of Dagupan were placed under preventive suspension for 60 days in an Order of the Office of the President dated October 30, 2024, a copy of which was received by the Dagupan City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) on November 5.

The three are Councilors Redford Erfe-Mejia, Alfipio Serafin Fernandez and Victoria Czarinna Lim-Acosta, all members of the council’s seven-man majority.

They still attended last week’s regular session but were already excluded from the roll call and their statements were not recorded, on order of Vice Mayor and SP presiding officer Bryan Kua.

The preventive suspension stems from an administrative complaint of oppression, grave misconduct, abuse of authority, and conduct unbecoming of public officials filed jointly before the Office of the President by Kua, Councilors Jeslito Seen, Dennis Canto, Marcelino Fernandez and Councilor Joshua Bon Bon Bugayong, then chairman of the Sanggunian Kabataan Federation.

The three-page Order, docketed as OP-IAS-24-F-066, signed by Atty. Anna Liza G. Logan, Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs, partly stated: “Wherefore, premises considered, the prayer of the complainants to place Councilors Redford Christian P. Erfe-Mejia, Alipio Serafin D. Fernandez, and Victoria Charinna Lim Acosta under preventive suspension, is hereby granted.”

The President’s Office forwarded the case to the Department of the Interior and Local, which has the authority to investigate the case.

Apart from the administrative complaint, related criminal cases have also been filed before the Municipal Trial Court based on the events during the October 28 SP session wherein the three were caught on CCTV in disorderly conduct and hurling vitriolic statements against Kua.

A separate case was filed by Seen and Councilor Michael Fernandez against Erie-Mejia for disrupting their meeting.

The tense situation inside and outside the session hall was anticipated by P/Lt. Colonel Brendon Palisoc, city chief of police, and deployed SWAT officers near the SP building.

With the suspension in effect, the five-member minority bloc now holds the majority with only four left from the opposition. Seizing this opportunity, Councilor Seen moved that all committee positions be declared vacant and to install Councilor Michael Fernandez as acting majority floor leader.

Both measures were objected to by Councilor Librada Reyna-Macalnda, resulting in a nominal voting of 5-3, in favor of the measures.

Councilor Fernandez then moved for the approval of a draft resolution of a new Internal Rules of Procedures, which was again objected to by Reyna-Macalanda but in the voting, her group did not participate, nor did they register a negative vote nor an abstention.

The former majority was also defeated in opposing the motion allowing City Legal Officer Aurora Valle to speak and clarify whether the three suspended councilors could still be counted in determining the number of qualified majority.

Following the series of setbacks on the floor, Councilor Celia Lim led her colleagues — Reyna-Macalanda, Alvin Coquia and Marilou Fernandez — in walking out of the session, saying they were doing this because they do not want to become parties to illegal acts. (Leonardo Micua)

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