Parayno stays as Urdaneta mayor
COMELEC CITES ‘NO-SUSPENSION’ RULE
URDANETA City Mayor Julio Parayno III is not leaving his post, citing a February 4, 2025 letter of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) backing him and Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno against a suspension order from the Office of the President.
The letter was in response to the joint letter of the two Paraynos dated January 15, informing the COMELEC of their opposition to the supposed request of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to implement during the election ban the suspension order.
Lawyer Maria Norina Tangaro-Casingal of the Comelec law department cited Section 15 of Rule V of Comelec Resolution No. 11059 that states: “Prohibited Acts – From January 12, 2025 (Sunday) to June 11, 2025 (Wednesday), the provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, no public official shall, except upon prior approval of the Commission, suspend any elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay official.”
Section 16 of the same resolution further stated: “Request for authority to suspend and elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay officer shall be submitted to the Law Department of the Commission.”
Casingal stated that based on record, “this Department has not received any application for Request for Authority of the Commission to Suspend any City Elective Officer in Urdaneta City, Pangasinan, specifically for the implementation of the Decision of the OP in OP-DC Case 22-K-090, particularly the aggregated penalty of one (1)-year suspension from office against you.”
Parayno earlier asserted that he has yet to duly receive the suspension order, which was served on January 7 while he was on sick leave. The order was again served on the 13th, but the mayor asserts that this was already within the election period that started on January 12.
During an election period, all suspension orders against elected local officials, except those for violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act, cannot be implemented without the COMELEC’s approval. (Leonardo Micua)
DILG maintains Parayno cousins duly suspended as of Jan. 7
THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), in an advisory dated January 31, 2025, categorically declared that the 12-month suspension of Mayor Julio F. Parayno III and Vice Mayor Jimmy D. Parayno “was duly served on January 7, 2025”.
The advisory, signed by DILG Undersecretary for External Legal and Legislative Affairs Romeo P. Benitez, stated that the two Paraynos continue to be suspended until such time that the penalty imposed upon them is duly completed or served.
Further, the advisory said all acts, declarations, orders, or pronouncements made by the two Paraynos are bereft of legal effects and persistent reliance is tantamount to usurpation of functions.
The DILG advisory further stated that the law on succession under Section 46 of Republic Act 7160 should be operationalized meaning the highest ranking Sanggunian Panlungsod member, Franco del Prado Sr., is mandated to assume as acting mayor pursuant to his designation last January 25, 2025; and second ranking councilor, Warren Andrada, pursuant to his designation on the same date, should assume as acting vice mayor.
DILG representatives returned to the Urdaneta City Hall in Barangay Poblacion as well as Anonas last February 4 to serve the DILG advisory on Del Prado and Andrada, who are both allies of the Paraynos.
The two could not be found and none of their staff was willing to receive the advisory, prompting the DILG to again just post a copy at the door of their respective offices.
Parayno, in a press conference at his office at the Urdaneta City Hall the previous week, asserted that the suspension coming from the Office of the President did not take effect as he was on sick leave and no one was authorized to receive it when DILG personnel served the order.
The DILG personnel just posted a copy of the order at the door of his office which, he said, was not the proper legal procedure. (Leonardo Micua)
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