Bona Confident Mangaldan Mayor will Suspend a Village Chief- Ally

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

MANGALDAN – The former mayor of this first class town is confident that Mayor Marilyn Lambino will implement the preventive suspension order meted by the Sangguniang Bayan (Legislature) against a village chief and her political ally.

“Well sa akin naman siguro now the mayor probably will know the law na ministerial ang trabaho niya. (It) means as good as wala ng ganito kasi alam niya dito sa preventive suspension na binigay ng SB,” declared by former Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno to media men after the session of the hearing of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) here last January 14, 2021.

In an ex-parte motion of Parayno, the SB members decided to suspend for 60 days Barangay Poblacion Chairman Melinda “Tonette” Morillo because she flagrantly collected fees from businessmen who applied for business permits despite her Barangay Ordinance No. 42, Series of 2014 was nullified by the SB in year 2014.

MAYORALTY RIVALS former Mangaldan Mayor Bona Fe D. Parayno (left) and incumbent Mayor Marilyn Lambino.

Except with an abstention vote of Councilor Rolly Abalos, the President of the Liga ng mga Barangays, all of the members of the SB voted for the Resolution.

But the implementation of Mayor Lambino was held in abeyance after Morillo submitted to the August chamber her Counter-Affidavit on December 14, 2020 and Parayno’s Reply Affidavit on January 14, 2021.

The preventive suspension of  Morillo did not push through after she told the SB that she will be answering the Reply-Affidavit of Parayno through her Rejoinder- Affidavit.

Morillo did not attend the January 14 session but Vice Mayor Pedro Surdilla rescheduled another session to January 29 after Morillo sent her Rejoinder up to January 18, 2021.

The quarrel of the former mayor and Morillo started in December 2014 when the former, an incumbent mayor then, order the detention of the latter who was a Kagawad and her Barangay Chairman Dr. Joselito "Jojo" Quinto, now a member of the SB, when the duo violated the 60 days preventive suspension Parayno given to them.

Their preventive suspension ensued after they billed businessmen with hefty fees on clearances where the SB imposed to them a Grave Misconduct Case.

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Morillo and Quinto were even charged in Decembere 22, 2014 at the Office of the Provincial Prosecution in Dagupan City with Illegal Exaction but it was dismissed in April 30, 2019 for lack of jurisdiction by the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor based in Burgos, Pangasinan.

‘It is our humble opinion that the complainant’s proper remedy is to file a Declaratory Relief (Rule 63 of the Revised Rules of Court) with the Regional Trial Court questioning the validity of Ordinance No. 1, Series of 2014 of the Sangguniang Barangay of Poblacion, Mangaldan,” penned by Public Prosecutor II Alona J. Cale-Esberto and approved by Provincial Prosecutor Abraham L. Ramos.

The respondents' lawyer  Joseph Emmanuel Cera, a member of the SB, ordered Morillo and Quinto in December 3, 2014 to take their post at the barangay hall even without finishing the 60 days preventive suspension meted by the mayor

Parayno was defeated by Mayor Lambino in the May 16, 2019 election.

The salient excerpts of Parayno complaint against Morillo:

“The Sangguniang Bayan of Mangaldan had issued Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 2015-20, recalling Resolution no. 2015-07 and declaring Barangay Resolution no. 42, S of 2014l null and void”

“Barangay Poblacion in Mangaldan, Pangasinan, through Punong Barangay Melinda Paragas Morillo, continues to collect fees as Barangay Business Clearance as shown by the following receipts stated below, copies of which are hereto attached and made an integral part hereof”.

Some of the issued receipts named to Parayno were dated March 27, 2019, May 17, 2019, and August 3, 2020 with each of them amounted to P500.

Excerpt of Morillo’a Verified- Counter Affidavit against Parayno: “While it is true that Barangay Ordinance No. 11, series of 2019 has been disapproved by the Sangguniang Bayan in its Resolution No. 2020-12. Barangay Council reconsideration and submitted a reduced barangay fees. In its Resolution No. 2020-149, the Sangguniang Bayan likewise denied the said motion. On July 15, Barangay Ordinance, hence, Ordinance 13, series of 2020 was submitted to the Office of Sangguniang Bayan for review and received on July 21, 2020”.

“Section 57 (b) clearly stated that “If the Sangguniang Panlungsod or Sanggunian Bayan as the case may be, fails to ‘take action” on Barangay Ordinances within thirty days from receipts thereof, the same shall be deemed approved. “Despite the lapse of the prescriptive period of thirty days from July 21, 2020 for review, the Sangguniang Bayan failed to take legislative action on the barangay ordinance, hence, the barangay ordinance shall have deemed approved”.

Excerpt of Parayno’s Reply Affidavit says “It is clear therefore that from February 13, 2015 up to September 25, 2020, when the alleged Ordinance No. 13, Series of 2020 was implemented, there was no law for the collection of fees for Barangay Business Clearance in Barangay Poblacion, Mangaldanl, Pangasinan”.

“Respondent’s arrogance and boldness, therefore, in continuing with the collection of said fees despite the absence of any law to the detriment and prejudice of the business people of Poblacion, clearly amounts to Grave Misconduct”.

The SB should be re-voting—on January 29, 2021 as based on the Rejoinder-Affidavit.

Political kibitzers keenly observe how Mayor Lambino would do on the acid test if she will suspend a political ally.

A publisher of a newspaper, who asked for anonymity, said that the members of the SB will capitulate in favor of Morrillo in case the office of the mayor pressures them.

Parayno is seen to reclaim her post from Lambino in the May 2022 mayorship race.

A huge number of pro – Fourth District Congressman Christopher de Venecia reporters covered the January 14 SB session.

Either Lambino’s husband Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) Adminisitrator and Presidential Adviser on Northern Luzon Secretary Raul Lambino or son Pangasinan Vice Governor Mark Lambino is seen to challenge De Venecia’s reelection in the 2022 poll.

Parayno and De Venecia are political allies.

Media supporters of the De Venecias that include former Speaker Joe and former Congresswomen Gina de Venecias and Lambinos through their trolls have been mudslinging each other since August last year.

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(You can read my selected columns at mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)