Defeated city SP majority push for future allowances

By June 2, 2025Top Stories

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THE six defeated opposition councilors who still make up the majority in the current Dagupan Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), with only five sessions left before six of them leave their posts, want to bind the city government with their drafts of ordinances for recurring expenses in the form of allowances to derail financial management of the city administration.

However, they failed to do it during the May 27 regular session, because there was no quorum in hall after the five members of the minority bloc, who are all opposed to these proposals, boycotted the session by filing special privilege leaves along with Vice Mayor and SP Presiding Officer Bryan Kua.

Only six majority councilors were present during the session, with their seventh member, Councilor  Alfie Fernandez, on vacation in the United States.

Present were Councilors Redford Erfe-Mejia, Alvin  Coquia, Librada Reyna, Celia Lim, Marilou Fernandez and Irene Lim-Acosta.

Of these, only Reyna won a fresh term for the next SP, which will have a 9-member majority who are allies of re-elected Mayor Belen Fernandez.

On special privilege leave were Councilors Michael Fernandez, Jeslito Seen, Dennis Canto, and ex-officio councilors Michael Fernandez, chairman of the Liga ng mga Barangay Federation, and Bradley Benavides, chair of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation.

The current minority believe the five proposals can just be taken up by the next batch of councilors who will assume their posts by July.

The three proposed ordinances cover benefits and privileges for Dagupan’s athletes, coaches and trainers; provision of monthly allowances to all clerks of court assigned in the Dagupan City; and medical allowances to all qualified city employees, including elective or appointive, permanent or temporary, job order and technical consultants.

The two draft resolutions are requesting the mayor to convene the Local Development Council to discuss the possibility of preparing a supplemental budget of P117, 000 to provide a monthly allowance of P1,500 to nine clerks of courts assigned in regional and municipal trial courts in Dagupan; and requesting the mayor to adopt the use of solar energy in all government offices, public schools, and public places, and the purchase of air-conditioning units to be installed in newly-constructed public schools in Dagupan. (Leonardo Micua)

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