URDANETA City finally has an acting mayor and vice mayor following the one-year suspension of Mayor Julio Parayno III and Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno by the Office of the President.

Councilors Rio Esteves and Councilor Blesildo Sumera – who ranked No. 7 and 8 among the 10 city councilors in the 2022 election – were installed last week as acting mayor and vice mayor, respectively, as the top six councilors declined the temporary posts.

The two accepted the posts during a flag ceremony attended by all employees in front of the old City Hall last Monday, attended by officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The assumption of Esteves and Sumera was in compliance with the letter designation signed by Interior and Local Government Secretary Jun Vic Remulla, which was read during the flag-raising ceremony.

It was Mayor Parayno himself who convinced both Esteves and Sumera – both his political allies seeking reelection as councilors under the Parayno-Parayno team in the May 12 polls – to accept the designations so that he and Vice Mayor Parayno, his cousin, can finally consider themselves as suspended.

When six other councilors refused to assume posts as acting mayor and acting vice mayor, Parayno continued to discharge his functions at home when the DILG sent policemen to the city hall complex to prevent him and the vice mayor from entering the premises.

Meanwhile, the DILG Region 1 office announced that the six councilors who earlier declined their designations as acting mayor and acting vice mayor may face legal sanction for violating the rule of succession.

Six policemen are still guarding the city hall even if Esteves and Sumera already assumed as acting mayor and vice mayor, respectively. (Leonardo Micua)

 

Parayno slams GuiConsulta 

SUSPENDED Urdaneta Mayor Julio Parayno III, who is running for reelection in the May 12 polls, slammed the provincial administration’s GuiConsulta health program, which he said is not supported by 18 mayors of Pangasinan because it is discriminatory to both the people and local governments.

Campaigning in Barangay Pinmaludpod last week, he said the provincial government set aside P300 million for GuiConsulta, which gives out P200 to P500 to anyone who registers and avail of health services under this program purportedly to pay for the fare of the registrant, who must submit identification cards.

Parayno said he is puzzled why registrants are arbitrarily given P200 each in some towns, P300 in others, and P500 in Urdaneta, where his wife Maan Guico is running against him for mayor.

He pointed out that the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has allocated P1,700 per person for each GuiConsulta registrant, leaving a bigger surplus to the provincial government.

The PhilHealth capitation fund is apportioned at 80% for the provincial government, and 20% to municipal government and most of the municipal and city governments want the full amount given to them.

He assured that all city residents, whether registered or not under GuiConsulta, can avail of health services at the Urdaneta District Hospital, including laboratory tests and medicines, through the City Health Office and its eight satellite offices located in various barangays.

Meanwhile, he lamented that Pangasinan that used to rank no. 5 among all provinces nationwide   during the term of former Gov. Amado Espino III, is now relegated to just 34th under the administration of Gov. Ramon Guico III, based on the annual Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index developed by the National Competitiveness Council.

Parayno said he believes that Espino, who is challenging Guico’s reelection bid, will score a landslide victory in the coming election. The office of the governor did not react to Parayno’s claim. (Leonardo Micua)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments