VM KUA REFUSED TO ACT ON MOTION PER DILG RULE

THE seven opposition councilors who comprise the majority in the Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod again walked out of the February 6 regular session after Vice Mayor and Sangguniang Panlungsod presiding officer Bryan Kua refused to rule on the privilege motion of the majority to adjourn.

After the roll call, Acting Majority Floor Leader Alvin Coquia called on Councilor Redford Erfe-Mejia to read a written manifestation of the majority that included a written privilege motion at the end to adjourn the session.

The written privilege motion in the manifestation was clearly a ploy meant to end the session again to stop any discussion of debate on the manifestation and other matters listed in the agenda pertaining to the 2024 annual budget.

When Presiding officer, Vice Mayor Kua, did not rule on Erfe-Mejia’s motion because of the rule that the Provincial DILG Director Virgilio Sison shared that action on a motion to adjourn can be deferred if there are other pressing issues to be discussed.

The DILG rule was further explained by Minority Leader Michael Fernandez citing the circumstances that led to the DILG’s advice on how to respond to a motion to adjourn and cited items that remained pending after three sessions.

Among these are the Communications portion of the agenda that reported the receipt of a letter by the Sanggunian of the January 17, 2024 letter of Mayor Belen Fernandez stressing the urgency of the passage and approval of the 2024 Annual Investment Program as well as the 2024 Annual City Budget, and January 5, 2024 letter of Mayor Fernandez that called on the Sanggunian to hold daily special sessions to speed up the passage and approval of the two measures.

The majority, however, belittled the opinion of DILG Provincial Director and proceeded to walk out while the minority leader was speaking.

Councilor Alfie Fernandez led the walkout, followed by Councilors Erfe-Mejia, Alvin Coquia, Marilou Fernandez, Celia Chua-Lim and Irene Lim-Acosta. Councilor Macalanda, was not in the hall and simply closed her link to the Zoom platform.

It was the opposition’s second walkout. The first was when Mayor Belen Fernandez was speaking during their session in February last year appealing to the SP to pass the 2023 annual city budget.

Minority Leader Fernandez said the majority councilors are out to block any opportunity that will allow the minority block to comment on their submitted committee reports on the annual city budget. (Leonardo Micua)

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