A claim by opposition councilors that department heads are being prevented from attending the weekly committee hearings on the city’s annual budget to delay the process was vehemently denied by Mayor Belen Fernandez in a text message to The PUNCH.

“It’s not true,” Mayor Fernandez’s text message reads when asked by The PUNCH if she, indeed, ordered department heads not to attend the Sanggunian Panlungsod’s committee hearings on the 2024 annual budget.

She said she finds the opposition’s claim ironic and ridiculous because it was she who asked the committee to hold daily committee hearings to fast track the process, hence, the required presence of the department heads but it was the opposition that turned down her request to ensure the delay of the passage of the ordinance.

Councilor and Minority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez labeled the opposition’s claim as another ploy of Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia, chair of the committee on finance, budget and appropriations, to shift the blame on the expected delay in the passage of the budget ordinance to the mayor.

To lend credence to their claim, Councilor Alfie Fernandez even read a rule from supposed booklet of the Councilors League of the Philippines during the February 6 session that says no permission from the city executive is required before a department head can attend a Sanggunian hearing in aid of legislation.

He also warned that the mayor is liable under R.A. 6713 or the Code  of Conduct of Public Officials and Employees if she insists on stopping the city officials in attending the hearings.

To prove that such claim was a lie, Councilor Fernandez moved for the suspension of the rules to allow Atty. Aurora Valle, city legal officer, and other department heads, to come to the session hall to personally dispute the claim.

However, Erfe-Mejia promptly objected to Fernandez’s motion forcing a division of the house. The result of the nominal voting conducted, as expected, showed all five minority councilors voted for the motion while all seven majority councilors voted against.

Mayor Fernandez said she is, in fact, attending the committee hearing on the budget on February 23 on the invitation of the Erfe-Mejia’s committee even if her appeal to the committee to fast track the hearings with her certification was ignored.

The hearings are conducted on closed door with only all seven members of the committee on finance budget and appropriations attending, plus the minority floor leader who has no speaking or voting rights in accordance with the Internal Rules and Procedures of the Dagupan the opposition crafted.  (Leonardo Micua )

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