MOM AND DAUGHTER COUNCILORS WALKED OUT?

THE committee hearing last February 27 that Mayor Belen Fernandez attended to defend her administration’s 2024 budget ended up cordially, nothing like how the committee hearing last year when she appeared to defend the 2023 budget.

The only issue that almost sparked another exchange was when, in the middle of the hearing, the mayor was asked why she thought Councilor Celia Chua-Lim and her daughter Irene Lim-Acosta “walked out“ on her during the meeting.

Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia, chair of the committee on finance, budget and management, said his attention was called  about Mayor Belen Fernandez’s live stream on Facebook before the committee hearing started.

The caption of the allegedly offensive Facebook post of Mayor Fernandez reads: “P1.385 bilyon budget ng mga Dagupenos. Aking idedepensa ngayon sa harap ng 7 majority councilors… Coun. Celia & Irene Lim-Acosta walk out kanina”.

In defense of the Lim mother and daughter, Erfe-Mejia said they did not walk out but merely opted to join the committee hearing via zoom platform.

“Well, that was what I thought,” said Fernandez, on seeing the two left the conference room before the 1 p.m. hearing started, and walked past and ignored her and her staff who were waiting outside the conference room.

Before a heated exchange could start, Minority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez interrupted the discussion and sought the resumption of the committee hearing and listen to the mayor’s presentation.

The Lim mother and daughter were in the conference room since the start of the 1:00 a.m. committee hearing and were still in the room when City Health Officer Ophelia Rivera presented her office’s/ budget.

But before Fernandez could enter the room, the two left the conference room.  (Leonardo Micua)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments