THE minority bloc in the Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) again boycotted the council session last June 17, and the seven-member majority was unable to proceed with the business of the day as they were one member short of a quorum.

There were four resolutions in the agenda, all authored by the seven majority councilors, which are unlikely to be carried over to the next council that will begin on July 1, as six of them will no longer be part of the fresh batch of SP members.

A proposed draft ordinance numbered 0-920, seeking to strengthen the operationalization of freedom of information and providing for a mechanism for the disclosure of public records in the city of Dagupan, providing penalties for violation thereof” authored by Councilor Erfe- Mejia, was not included in the agenda.

There was also no committee report showing favorable endorsement of the proposal by a broad spectrum of the community, confirming that the scheduled committee hearings for the proposed measure was boycotted as well by invited resource speakers, including members of the media.

The remaining session of the outgoing SP will be on June 24, at which time all the outgoing council members are expected to deliver their respective valedictory addresses should there be a quorum.

The members of the minority, who are allies of re-elected Mayor Belen Fernandez, is led by re-elected Vice Mayor and SP Presiding Officer Bryan Kua, and Councilors Michael Fernandez, Jeslito Seen, Dennis Canto, Liga ng mga Barangay Chairman Marcelino Fernandez, and Sangguniang Kabataan Chairman Bradley Benavides.

Seen told The PUNCH  that their boycott was intentional because the majority members, in the dying few days of their term, wanted to fast-track a series of measures which they could have done earlier during the past three years of their term, calling them inconsistent and hypocrites.

Present were Councilors Alfie Fernandez, who was supposed to assume as the acting presiding officer, and his majority colleagues Librada  Reyna, Celia Lim, Alvin Coquia, Marilou Fernandez and Redford Erfe-Mejia. Councilor Irene Lim-Acosta was on extended privileged leave.

At the penultimate session of their term, members of the majority came in the full campaign uniform of their group, LiFe.

The mass oath-taking of all re-elected and newly-elected officials of Dagupan is set morning of June 28 at the Dagupan City Astrodome. (Leonardo Micua)

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