TOWN MAYOR IN PANGASINAN DEFIES SUSPENSION ORDER ISSUED BY THE PALACE

URDANETA CITY, Pangasinan

Mayor Julio F. Parayno III stood defiant on the suspension order issued by the Office of the President and the
Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) claiming he did nothing wrong. On January 20, 2025 leaves a challenge that he will sign his suspension order signed by the Office of the President Executive Secretary Lucas
Bersamin once it will be served to him. “Ngayon andito ako, ibigay ninyo Ang suspension order ko at pipirmahan ko,” he said.

On January 3, 2025, the executive secretary signed the suspension order against Parayno and Urdaneta Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 1 in accordance with the decision signed by Bersamin issued a suspension order against the said officials in January 7, 2025. The two Paraynos are suspended for a total of 12 months or one year after being found administratively liable for Grave Misconduct and Grave Abuse of Authority. Parayno claimed he did not receive and did not sign the order as he was on sick leave from January 7 to 21, 2025.

According to him, he filed for a leave but was denied Pangasinan Governor Ramon Guico III so he changed and filed a sick leave instead. “Ideny man o hindi igrant ng nakaupong governor ang suspension na iyan, sana naririnig niya, ang sick leave ay isang mandato, isang right ng public official na magfile ng sick leave, ” he stressed. The Office of the Governor on January 14, 2025 wrote a letter to the DILG Region clarifying that there is no approved leave issued
to Parayno. Guico also wrote Parayno informing him that his application for vacation leave is still pending and no approved leave on record.

He dared that now that he is around, they will give him the suspension order and he will sign it but if there is none then there is no suspension order against him. The decision stemmed from the complaint of barangay captain Michael Brian M. Perez on October 28, 2022 against the mayor and the vice mayor. Perez complaint that he was unjustly  removed as the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) and ex-officio of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Urdaneta on June 15, 2022. He alleged that the mayor and vice-mayor refused to recognize him as an ex-officio member of the SB despite favorable clarifications on his case from the LnB National and the DILG.

Parayno said the case against him was filed by Perez whom he said is very lazy. The mayor said that the Barangay official was removed because out of 77 sessions, he only attended 19 and he was even always late. He also said that
Perez in his eight years as the LnB President, he did not do even a single project of the league. Perez meanwhile said his suspension is improper as there are no cases or complaints filed against him. He also said that the indefinite
suspension that was slapped on him is illegal. He said that even if clarifications from the LnB and DILg were already given confirming that his suspension is improper, the two officials still refused to recognize him.

Parayno said he did nothing wrong as he is just implemented the law. “Bakit nga ba nasuspende si Mayor? Wag
na kayong magtaka dahil ang mga nakaupo ngayon ay mga elected officials at kone-koneksyon ang nangyayari. Tignan natin, iyong pinirmahan ni Executive Secretary, hindi niya alam na may napirmahan siya sa dami ng mga
dokumentong pinipirmahan niya. Pangalawa, sa tingin ko, hindi rin alam ng minamahal nating presidente na galing sa kaniyang opisina ang suspension ni Mayor Parayno, ngunit andito na tayo, ” he said. He hoped his message will reach President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the one he suspended is working dedicatedly for the public and for the
residents of Urdaneta. He also claimed that Bersamin whom he said is his friend once told him that he will protect him and take care of him “ngunit sa ibang banda, ikaw pala ang pipirma ng aking suspension,” he vented.

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