By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA
BINMALEY, Pangasinan - The defection of the six lawmakers to the fold of
the mayor here by their approval of the P71, 287, 329.85 supplemental budget
snagged at the lawmaking body, shows that projects for the people here desired
by the executive in the future can be easily implemented.
DEFECTORS
The six councilors are Urbano C. delos Angeles III, Jallen F. Alipio, Rolando A. Carrera, Gericho C. Francisco, Rolando D. Ferrer and Amelito A. Sison.
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BINMALEY Mayor Pedro “Pete” Merrera (2nd
from left) with some of the lawmakers of the Sangguniang Bayan.
"I
salute them dahil kahit may sama ng loob sa akin, pinakinggan nila ang
taumbayan ng Binmaley. Nakita nila na taumbayan ang nagsa-suffer," Mayor Pedro “Pete” Merrera said after the
six councilors deserted their former four solon allies who are supporters of
Vice Mayor Simplicio Rosario and eventually approved the supplemental budget
that have been stalled in the five members’ Committee on Appropriation
dominated by the three of the four members of the opposition.
P71.3 MILLION
The P71.3 million have been allocated to aid the senior citizens people
with disabilities (PWDs) and individuals in crisis situation, procurement of
school supplies for students, purchase of supplies and equipment for the local
government unit, road concreting and construction of drainage, renovation of
the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) building, offices of the mayor, municipal
administrator, assessor, agriculture, social welfare and development and other.
With the new fund that many feared would be eclipsed by the barangay election
ban to start on September 15 to October 30, Mayor Merrera promised his
constituents in this 33 villages first class coastal town that he would double
his effort to serve them especially his new collaboration with the new
majority in the SB.
When Merrera assumed office here in June 30 last year, he has only one
ally - councilor in the lawmaking body while the rest have been supportive with
Rosario and his councilor-son Jonas.
Merrera defeated the younger Rosario in the May 9, 2022 election by a
margin of 5,721 from the total votes of 51, 584 that have been divided among
the four candidates. Merrera and the older Rosario – a former mayor of 15 years
- are seen to clash for the mayorship in the May 2025 election.
ACRIMONIES
The approval of the multi-millions of pesos’ special budget, however, was
met with fireworks and frayed nerves from the mayor and some of the lawmakers.
In the August 18 committee hearing, Councilor Sison lambasted the
majority members of the Committee on Appropriation headed by Coun. Buday
Cagaoan for procrastinating on the urgency of the Mayor to pass the much needed
funds.
“Andiyan po ang lahat na mga
department heads na handang sumagot! Binigyan na po tayo ng mga kopya lahat.
Sana po kung maaprobahan, this is the final urgency of our Mayor. Siguro sa
susunod na taon paano na ang mga magulang na nakabili na ng mga school
supplies? Tapos bibigyan mo na naman ng school supplies!”
COUN.
ROSARIO LAMBASTS MERRERA, 6 DADS
The approval of the supplemental budget by the six councilors did not
escape criticism from Councilor Rosario.
On the August 25 video broadcast seen at his Facebook account, he lashed-out
on the six councilors for violating the legislative process by railroading it.
“Pagdating po kung mayroon
silang violation – meron po. Noong August 23 na sesyon may nag motion sa
committee hearing without a committee report. At ang nag motion pa is not a
member of the Committee on Appropriation. Then the approval granting it was
already terminated. Why the sudden motion to approve?”
He said the four minority councilors where he belonged were protecting
the integrity of the lawmaking body. He pounced on the majority who abused
their dominance by arbitrarily approving the P71.3 million supplemental
budget.
“They are abusing the urgency
(request of Mayor Merrera). Pangalawa, they are abusing their numbers the
majority they abused being a member of the majority”.
He denounced too the six solons from approving the budget as “approved
without thinking”.
“Sixty percent of the P71
million is allotted for construction projects. Ano ang purpose na urgent?
Simple because of the (barangay) election? Huwag naman po. Wag ninyong gamitin
ang power ninyo po para mapanalo ninyo ang manok ninyo. Mali! The process was
destroyed!” he jabbed on
Merrera.
WRITING ON THE WALLS
Appropriation Committee Chairwoman Cagaoan saw the writings on the wall. She said that even the committee chairmanship in the five –member committee on appropriation was threatened to be replaced by Merrera-friendly councilors.
“So pag-inalis na nila ako sa Committee on
Appropriation ako lang ang papalitan doon. Maglalagay sila ng isa doon sa amin -
they are on the majority. Pag majority na sila sa Committee of Appropriation
ang measure asikasuhin ng Appropriation puwede na nila e discuss kahit mag
object itong dalawa. Siyempre,kung sila ang majority iyon ang masusunod”.
MERRERA REBUKES COMM. MEMBERS
On the August 16 press conference called by the Mayor at his office, he
rebuked the four minority solons who many supporters of the mayor thought
hostage the approval of the supplemental budget:
“I addressed the Vice Mayor,
this is my fourth and final urgency for a committee hearing na pinasubmit ko
ngayong araw na ito. I should see to it napagtuunan na ng pansin. At alam ko
sana ABC (Association of Barangay Captains) President Jonas Rosario, SK
President Bautista, Councilor Buday Cagaoan and Councilor Ariel dela Concha.
Sana pag-aralan ninyong mabuti ito kung kayo ay nagmamahal sa bayan. Pag hindi
kayo nagmamahal sa bayan, sino kayo?! At tatanungin ko sa inyo kung ano ang
pakay ninyo? Kayo ba ay talagang nagmamahal? Hayaan ninyo ang ating bayang
Binmaley?”
PANGASINAN JOLTS BY
THE WORD - WAR
Before the series of Merrera urgent requests for the august body to
approve his supplemental budget, this town and the province of Pangasinan were
jolted in August 9 this year when Vice Mayor Rosario screamed at the Mayor
while repeatedly hitting severely the sound block with his wooden gavel at his
location in the rostrum to get out from the session hall during the meeting of
the SB when he appeared there to argue the much needed P71.3 million budget.
Some of the excerpts of that encounter are provided below:
“Give us respect also. I am the Executive you give also respect. If
you’re giving full (by pointing to Budget Head Jeffrey delos Angeles who was
seated) sabihin niyo nanloloko!” Merrera told Rosario.
“You stopped it. I’ll be the one to ask. Jeff e admit sabihin niyo sa
lahat iyan coming from his own mouth. Sabi niya baka e –revert iyan (P39
million budget for the heavy equipment’s Excavator). O! Di ko alam iyan. That’s
why I am asking the Budget Officer why sinabi niya dito sa amin sa body,”Rosario retorted.
VICE MAYOR: I will not give my respect kasi nagsasalita ka e! YOU GET OUT
HERE! (beating hardly the wooden gavel to the sound block). YOU GET OUT HERE!
FEMALE VOICE: Point of order!
VICE MAYOR: This is Sangguniang Bayan (inaudible), O common!
FEMALE VOICE: Point of order let's stopped it!
VICE MAYOR: You're not under us! Huwag mong ipakita na hawak mo kami
dito. NO!
(Beating the wooden gavel severely to the sound block).
MAYOR: No, no, no!
VICE MAYOR: GO OUT! I tell you to go out!
In the press conference, Mayor Merrera chastised Vice Mayor Rosario when
the former bad mouthed him and drove him away from the session hall.
MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA
I am a twenty years seasoned Op-Ed Political Writer in various newspapers and Blogger exposing government corruptions, public officials idiocy and hypocrisies, and analyzing local and international issues. I have a master’s degree in Public Administration and professional government eligibility. I taught for a decade Political Science and Economics in universities in Metro Manila and cities of Urdaneta, Pangasinan and Dagupan. Follow me on Twitter @totoMortz or email me at totomortz@yahoo.com.
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