REMULLA GIVES DILG 10 DAYS TO NAIL DOWN URDANETA CITY MAYOR, VM IMPASSE

February 20, 2025 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY (February 19, 2025)

Interior secretary Jonvic Remulla promised his department 10 days to finally resolve the impasse over the suspension of Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Mayor Julio F. Parayno III and Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno. The Paraynos have continued to defy the January 3, 2025 12-month suspension of the Office of the President through Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin for Grave Misconduct and Grave Abuse of Authority in connection with a 2022 complaint by barangay chairman who was unjustly ousted from the Urdaneta City Council as ex-officio member.

Despite the January 7, 2025 issuance by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 1 of Malacanang’s suspension order, the Paraynos continued to stay on their posts challenging they did not officially receive such suspension orders, hence, “there is no suspension order”. Parayno III had also insisted he did nothing wrong and also alluded that Exec. Sec. Bersamin might have signed a suspension order he did not know because of the voluminous documents his office face on a daily basis.

Even the President might have not known about the suspension, the mayor also suspected. Remulla, who was here on a regional visit here on Wednesday vowed he has already ordered DILG-Region 1 to resolve all the issues pertaining to the Urdaneta City impasse in 10 days. “Mareresolve na naming lahat yan,” he promised. The DILG chief added that additional charges against the Paraynos will be filed in connection with their defiance of the suspension order and for continuing to discharge functions even while on suspension including signing of local government budget disbursements. Remulla added that they have already notified the Commission on Audit, Land Bank of the Philippines and other government agencies about the 12-month suspension of the Paraynos.

Artemio A. Dumlao