Mayor Belen sees faster legislation
WITH 3 COUNCILORS SUSPENDED
“IT was what I earlier considered as another Divine Providence or an act of God favoring us.”
This was the terse reaction of Mayor Belen Fernandez to the preventive suspension of the three councilors of the majority bloc for 60 days by the Office of the President following the complaints of Vice Mayor Bryan Kua and Councilors Jeslito Lim, Dennis Canto, Marcelino Fernandez and former Councilor Joshua Bugayong.
The suspended councilors Redford Erfe-Mejia, Alipio Serafin Fernandez and Victoria Czarinna Lim-Acosta, are part of the seven-member majority in the opposition that has been blocking and delaying legislation, including the annual city budget and supplemental budget.
The mayor said that under the seven majority councilors, proposed ordinances and resolutions meant to improve the situation and allow national government agencies to assist the city were persistently rejected for apparent political reasons.
The mayor cited the 2023 budget proposal that was finally passed during a session only in September when three majority councilors were simultaneously on vacation overseas, leaving only four members of their bloc.
The majority filed a case in court asserting that the 2023 annual budget was illegally passed but was denied.
With the current suspension in effect, Acting Majority Floor Leader Michael Fernandez wants sessions done twice a week instead of only once to clear the backlog of proposed ordinances that have piled up over the past two years.
He also said that marathon committee meetings will be held to discuss and ensure the timely passage of the 2025 proposed budget.
“Sana, this Order from the Office of the President should teach them (opposition councilors) a lesson that they cannot hold hostage the annual and supplemental budgets of the city for a long time, abuse their authority, oppress their fellow councilors and stop conducting themselves as unbecoming public officials,” he said. (Leonardo Micua)
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