Lapu-Lapu City Council rejects Chan's representative

CEBU, Philippines —  The majority of the members of the Lapu-Lapu City Council have rejected the mayor’s representative to the council.

“The designation by the mayor of his representative to the city council is among the powers vested to the mayor under the City Charter of Lapu-Lapu,” City Attorney Eugene Espedido said in a statement released by the city’s Public Information Office.

During the council’s session last week, presiding officer, Vice Mayor Celedonio Sitoy, accepted Espedido’s presence and the mayor's designation letter.

However, majority of the members, upon motion of Association of Barangay Councils president Eduardo Cuizon, rejected mayor’s letter designating Espedido as his representative.

“It is ironic that Atty. Dignos, who was once the mayor’s representative himself, is now leading the entire council to question Mayor Chan’s designation,” Espedido said.

Espedido said that the role of the mayor’s representative is not to interfere with legislative power but to promote harmony and cooperation between the executive and the legislative branches, and expedite the legislation process.

Espedido added that councilors in the past administration, many of whom are still current councilors in the city council, never questioned the previous city mayor’s designated representative, former City Attorney Yuri Benluan and Dignos, who was then the assistant legal officer during the time of former Mayor Paz Radaza.

Espedido further said that even before Paz’s term, her husband, then mayor Arturo “Boy” Radaza, also had Dignos as his representative at the council.

Sought for comment, Dignos said that the mayor’s power to attend the city council session under Republic Act 3134 is no longer the intention and principle found in the new Local Government Code of 1991 and all succeeding laws creating new cities, the powers of the City Mayor is now patterned after Section 455 of the Local Government Code.

In the said law, Dignos said there is not an iota of provision that will relate to the power that Chan wants to exercise and Section 9 of RA 3134 has been overtaken by newer laws and the Constitution.

“Si Atty. Espedido kahibawo ana nga dili na pwede. When Mayor Ahong started his administration he never availed or mentioned that knowing that he only had 2 councilors allied with him who won so that means he did not think of that anymore. Ang pangutana what is so important for Atty. Espedido to sit in the council when at any time when the council needs clarification from the executive, readily invitations are always extended,” Dignos said.

Dignos explained that when Paz had Beluan as her representative, he only attended the session at the sidelines and responded to questions or discussions when recognized by the council and the internal rules suspended.

“But this time, the mayor wants him (Espedido) to participate in the discussions without the suspension of the internal rules or formal recognition anymore and that is what the city council disagrees with,” Dignos added.

Dignos further said that even now Espedido is still allowed under the rules set by the city council and not under the own interpretation and ideas of the mayor or Espedido. — GMR (FREEMAN)