By Leonardo Micua

 

THE unfortunate incident that transpired during the October 10 session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Dagupan City left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth due to the disrespectful behavior exhibited by members of the majority bloc. Instead of adhering to their own house rules and showing respect toward the presiding officer, they chose to spew profanities against Vice Mayor Bryan Kua, the presiding officer.

This incident unveiled their true but dark agenda of seeking to invalidate the passage of the annual budget of Dagupan, which was eventually passed on September 26 after many months of delay.

The commotion arose when the majority faction moved to defer approval of the minutes of the September 26 and October 3 sessions, fully aware that in voting on the motion, they would prevail. When the minority opposed the motion, Councilor Redford-Erfe Mejia asked for the division of the house, confident that the majority would win in the voting.

Councilor Michael Fernandez, the minority floor leader, argued that it was illogical to allow councilors who were absent and had gone overseas to vote on the authenticity of the minutes of the two past sessions.

Vice Mayor Kua sustained Councilor Fernandez and ruled that only those present in the two sessions could vote on the motion, and the three who were absent could not.

Of course, the ruling of the presiding officer did not sit well with Councilors Erfe-Mejia and Alipio Serafin Fernandez leading them to seek a reversal of the ruling. When Kua refused, both Fernandez and Erfe-Mejia took turns in verbally assaulting the vice mayor, using derogatory language.

Councilor Czarinna Lim-Acosta joined the chorus hurling insults at the vice mayor and would not have stopped her verbal assault had she not been restrained by her mother, Councilor Celia Lim.

The entire incident highlights a clear lack of respect for the authority and rules established within the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Disregarding the importance of maintaining order and adhering to proper procedures not only undermines the integrity of the Council itself but also tarnishes the reputation of Dagupan City as a whole. Ipinahiya nila tayo!

It is important for all members to remember their duty to uphold the principles of fairness, transparency, and professionalism to effectively serve and represent the best interests of the city.

But what many spectators failed to comprehend was the perplexing action of Councilor Erfe-Mejia when he suddenly raised his voice, accusing an individual in the audience of carrying a concealed firearm in his bag. His charge was entirely irrelevant to the ongoing discussions within the Sanggunian but he kept on.

Curiously enough, Councilor Erfe-Mejia promptly issued an order, demanding that no one be allowed to leave the session hall and singled out his suspected individual, urging him to empty the contents of his bag in front of Erfe-Mejia himself and two other councilors.

To the astonishment of everyone present, including Erfe-Mejia, the bag, after a thorough inspection, had no firearm among its contents. Then he changed the topic and hinted that the gun must have been thrown in the waste bin. No such gun was found in the bin.

Driven by a conviction that the unfamiliar face posed a potential threat, Councilor Erfe-Mejia approached the man and inquired about his purpose for attending the session, overlooking the fact that anyone, whether physically present or participating online, had the right to witness the proceedings within the session hall.

Erfe-Mejia was visibly embarrassed after learning that the man he accosted is an emergency worker at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Despite the drama choreographed by the majority, the minutes of the September 26 and October 3 sessions were eventually approved. But why is Erfe-Mejia seeing and imagining things that are entirely unrelated to the issues being discussed in the city council? #

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