BAGUIO CITY (February 4, 2025)
Two city councilors are expected to take-over the posts vacated by Urdaneta City Mayor Julio F. Parayno III and Vice-Mayor Jimmy D. Parayno, earlier suspended for a year by Malacanang on January 3, 2025 for misconduct and grave abuse of authority. On January 7, 2025, DILG-Region 1 issued the 12-month suspension and ordered the Paraynos to vacate their respective offices in accordance with decision of Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin under the Office of the President (OP), after they are found liable for administrative offenses upon a complaint of a Barangay Captain supposedly unjustly suspended by the Paraynos.
By rule of succession, Urdaneta City Councilor Franco del Prado is bound to take over as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Mayor and Councilor Warren Andrada as OIC Vice-Mayor, Interior chief Jonvic Remulla earlier ordered, otherwise according to Atty. Romeo Benitez, Undersecretary for External Legal and Legislative Affairs of the DILG, “(the supposed legal successors) will be liable for dereliction of duty.” USec Benitez also in a February 3, 2025 memorandum to DILG-Region I regional director Jonathan M. Leusen Jr. directed the latter to coordinate with the police for assistance in the peaceful assumption of office of del Prado and Andrada.
The suspension stemmed from an October 28, 2022 complaint by Barangay Chairman Michael Brian M. Perez against the Paraynos for placing him under indefinite suspension on June 15, 2022 because of a manifesto seeking for his removal as President of the Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) and ex-officio of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Urdaneta City. Perez though sought clarification from the national president of the LnB, the provincial Board of Pangasinan and the DILG where both the LnB and the DILG found his suspension as erroneous.
The LnB still recognized him as the Urdaneta LnB president while the DILG stated that Perez’s suspension had no legal basis. But Vice mayor Parayno, refusing to recognize Perez as an ex-officio member of Urdaneta SP and refusing to allow him to participate in their regular session on October 5, 2022, even appointed a replacement to take on the latter’s post, which was also concurred and recognized by Mayor Parayno III. Parayno III earlier defied the suspension order issued last month, claiming he had done nothing wrong and he did not received the order because he was on leave. He even challenged he will even sign if the said order be personally served to him.
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