By Farah G. Decano

 

THE Dagupan City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has begun its term with remarkable promise. New members quickly immersed themselves in committee hearings, an early sign of diligence. Given each councilor’s monthly income of at least P107,208.00 plus allowances, Dagupeños rightfully expect substantial results for every vote and every centavo.

With nine out of 10 SP members now allied with Mayor Belen, her administration’s projects and initiatives appear set for a significantly smoother journey. Securing necessary ordinances and resolutions should be largely effortless. This strong majority will likely ease concerns for department heads, who can anticipate easier approval processes for the Mayor’s programs, free from the usual public scrutiny or shame during Sanggunian visits.

This predicted dynamic sharply contrasts with Mayor Belen’s previous terms, when she governed with a simple majority. During that period, especially when the city budget became contentious, a few supposed party mates secretly shifted their positions. They aggressively demanded concessions in furtive meetings by hinting at loyalty shifts.

This experience vividly exposed the unreliability of a simple majority. Some councilors treated their loyalty as a bargaining chip, acting as if their support was fluid and easily swayed. One even personally undermined Mayor Belen by unfavorably comparing her to another mayor. Another SP member was quoted, “If Mayor Belen does not give in, nagiging mahal kami,” openly implying his integrity was for sale.

Despite these challenges, Mayor Belen remained steadfast, refusing to yield to demands that clearly violated the law. However, to maintain crucial alliances, she did agree to other requests, which, unfortunately, fostered dependence and a sense of entitlement among a few councilors, to the detriment of the City Administrator and the City Legal Officer.

Councilors are fundamentally expected to craft their legislative measures. Yet, during the period of a simple majority, some of Mayor Belen’s allied council members heavily relied on the workforce of the City Administrator’s office (only four worked directly under the City Administrator) for proposed resolutions and ordinances.

This period also saw one SP member, despite his professional background, adopt an exceedingly dictatorial demeanor, acting as if he were the “number one councilor, wala naman sa top 5.” A fed-up City Administrator deliberately skipped one meeting, anticipating she’d be directed to do the councilors’ work again.

The City Legal Officer, who did attend such a meeting, later recounted her experience with anger and regret, describing how the same entitled councilor treated her like a personal secretary. Her exasperated remark, “Kung di lang kay Mayor Belen…” highlighted the challenging environment she faced.

Some department heads were in a quandary why these few councilors did not use the 10 job order employees allotted to each of them. Why did they have to burden the executive department with their own functions? Was it due to indolence? Incompetence? Or something else?

With the current composition of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, where nine out of ten councilors are allied with Mayor Belen, it’s highly improbable for any member to play games or threaten to shift loyalty. May this new set of Sanggunian members prove their sincerity in running for councilor by crafting their own ordinances and resolutions.

This term truly promises to be significantly smoother for Mayor Belen and her department heads. Dagupan City stands to flourish under this unified leadership.

Naway hindi matanong ang mga incumbent councilors kung sila ba ay tumakbo lang para sa pagpapakyut, kasikatan, sa sweldo, o para sa maaring mapipigang karangyaan.

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