SP minority seeks DILG guidance on Coquia’s status while on vacation
THE minority will seek guidance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government on whether a member of the city council can still participate in sessions of the Sangguniang Panlungsod while vacationing abroad.
Minority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez said the minority will merely seek its guidance on whether Councilor Alvin Coquia who participated in two sessions of the city council while he was vacationing in California, USA. is deemed legal and proper. Specifically, if his participation violated provisions in the Local Government Code and Civil Service Code.
Meanwhile, he said his bloc will determine what vital legislative measures that were passed by the SP in those sessions if Councilor Coquia’s attendance and vote via Zoom on November 21 and 28 would make a difference.
Fernandez maintained his previous statement to the PUNCH that an official who is on approved vacation overseas can not perform his official function at the same time, citing the case of Mayor Belen Fernandez when she led a delegation on a goodwill mission to Milpitas City and who handed the mantle of responsibility to Vice Mayor Bryan Kua because she knew she cannot perform her official function while on foreign land at the same time.
The majority members bloc insisted that based on their newly amended Internal Rules and Procedures the participation of Coquia through Zoom platform was legal even if he was on vacation abroad
Coquia already arrived from his vacation overseas. However, the session was canceled because of lack of quorum as only six members of the SP, including Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, responded to the roll call.
The others present were Councilors Michael Fernandez, Lino Fernandez and ex-officio Councilor Bradley Benavides, chairman of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation who was attending his first session with the SP, and Councilors Jeslito Seen and Dennis Canto who participated on Zoom while in their respective homes.
Councilor Marilou Fernandez was on sick leave while Coquia, Councilors Alfie Fernandez and Redford Erfe-Mejia did not respond to roll call.
It was learned that Councilors and Majority Floor Leader Librada Reyna-Macalanda, Celia Lim and her daughter, Irene Lim-Acosta also left for vacation abroad. The three, however, did not register their presence through the platform Zoom. (Leonardo Micua)
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