SP majority defers approval of February 14 minutes

By February 27, 2023Top Stories

FROM DELETING FEB 7 MINUTES

AFTER deleting the entire minutes of the February 7 regular session, the majority in the Dagupan City Sangguniang Panlungsod again used its number to defer the approval of the minutes of its February 14 regular session in a predictable 7-5 voting.

Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia, who moved for the deferment,  to enable the SP ostensibly to compare the minutes prepared by the secretariat with the video footages taken during the proceedings.

The deferment was decided after Minority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez made corrections on his statements during the  February 14.

Erfe-Mejia claimed that there are three videos taking the proceedings of the SP sessions  from the official zoom video of the SP, from the City Information Office and from the video of the seven-man majority.

Majority Floor Leader Librada Reyna-Macalanda said the footages of all the three videos will all be collated to check the accuracy of the minutes prepared by the secretariat.

City Secretariat Ryan Ravanzo told the plenary that aside from having stenographers to record the proceedings, the secretariat has a videotape of the proceedings as back up.

Recall that the February 14 session was a controversial one because it was there where the seven-man majority, on motion of Reyna-Macalanda, moved for the disapproval or deletion of the entire proceedings of the February 7 session when Mayor Belen Fernandez was invited by Vice Mayor and Presiding  Officer Bryan Kua, to speak about the proposed 2023 annual city budget.

In that session, all the members of the majority walked out soon after Councilor Erfe-Mejia moved for adjournment even without allowing Mayor Fernandez to respond to his unparliamentary remarks.

When Vice Mayor Kua allowed objections to the motion of Erfe-Mejia to be heard, other members of the majority followed Erfe-Mejia out.

Before finally walking out, Councilor Alfie Fernandez made a manifestation thanking Mayor Fernandez for coming to the SP and assured her that the majority will consider her manifestations on the proposed annual budget.

During the February 14 regular session, Minority Floor Leader Fernandez manifested that although the majority caused to erase the entire proceedings of the February 7 session, the majority did not deny that a regular session was held that day. (Leonardo Micua)

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