THE efforts of the majority in the Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod to force the hand of the Scholarship Committee created by Mayor Belen Fernandez to continue to implement the scholarships granted by the Lim administration came to a head again when the  Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) set by the past and present scholarship committees was invoked by both sides.

Where is the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of an ordinance passed by the Sangguniang Panlungsod in 2020 providing for the scholarship and educational assistance to students during the past city administration?

This was asked by members of the minority as Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia, chairman of the committee on finance, budget and appropriations of the SP, pressed the members of the scholarship committee created by Mayor Belen Fernandez to submit to him the IRR of Ordinance No. 2246-2022 adopting the Revised Comprehensive Dagupan City Scholarship and Educational Assistance Program  and Providing Funds Thereof.

Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), City Secretary Ryan Ravanzo had certified during a hearing conducted October 25 by Erfe-Mejia’s committee that no copy of the IRR on a city ordinance (No. 2210-2020) providing for scholarship to students going to college during the past city administration was furnished the city council in 2020 or to any department in the city government.

“Show us the past IRR,” Councilor Jeslito Seen dared members of the SP majority, allies of the Lim administration, citing Section 18 of City Ordinance No. 2246-2022 provides: “TRANSITION AND CONTINUITY—The current existing scholars shall continue to receive educational assistance through this Ordinance provided that they do not have the disqualification . . . .” further,  “The members  of the Scholarship Committee created by City Ordinance No. 2210-2020 shall immediately turn over the certified list of current scholars and all pertinent documents and records to the Scholarship and Educational Assistance Committee created by this Ordinance.”

In an earlier session of the SP, Councilor and Minority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez said the past city administration only submitted the payroll of the existing scholars to the new city administration but no IRR of City Ordinance 2221-2020 of the past city administration.

He said without the IRR as provided for in  the City Ordinance No. 2210-2020, the program could not have been implemented and the disbursements of funds made in favor of the scholars was not valid.

There was no response from Councilor Erfe-Mejia and neither has he requested members of the scholarship under the Lim administration (Lenny de Venecia, James Arzadon, Leila Natividad, Linda Ventenilla) to appear before the committee to submit the IRR it formed.

The IRR formulated by a scholarship committee created under City Ordinance 2246-2022 was approved by Mayor Fernandez last October. (Leonardo Micua)

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