Councilors act like spoiled brats

“Leaders who are kind of insecure or egocentric, they basically sabotage themselves.” John C. Maxwell

By Alex P. Vidal

THE acts by the city councilors of boycotting regular sessions and refusing to acknowledge their presiding officer since November 2014 have become inimical to the interest of the people of Roxas City, Capiz.

They’re tantamount to sabotage.

The Roxas city council has not officially passed several important measures since that period because of their refusal to attend the regular sessions.

Dadivas could not convene a regular session for lack of quorum.

Just like a father who can’t start the dinner because his children aren’t yet around to occupy their seats in the long table.

Citing “loss of confidence” in Vice Mayor Ronnie T. Dadivas, Councilors Julius L. Abela, Erwin B. Sicad, Cesar S. Yap, Erlynne B. Lim, Jennifer Anisco-Poliran, Matthew James Viterbo, Trina Marie Almalbis-Ignacio, Jose Agdalipe, and Virgilio A. Santos Jr. have refused to attend regular sessions as long as Dadivas is the presiding officer.

“Loss of confidence” is actually an oxymoron in this circumstance since both the vice mayor and city councilors are elected officials.

Sentiments are mere expressions and can’t be enacted into a law or ordinance.

TRANSLATE

Sentiments can’t be translated into a bellicose act that would jeopardize basic social services.    

They can’t be used to sabotage an official proceeding or regular session.

Appointed or co-terminus officials in the executive department can go anytime for loss of confidence from their appointing official, in this case either he is the mayor, the governor or the president.

Ironically, their rebellious acts began after Dadivas had a falling out with Mayor Angel Alan B. Celino, an ally of these brats.

In other words, politics or political bickering.

Because of politics, these city officials don’t give a damn if they will sacrifice the good and welfare of the people who elected them.

To add insult to taxpayers’ injury, they reportedly held a “session” inside the office of Mayor Celino on January 3, 2015 without Dadivas.

The city councilors did not only breach the separation of power between the executive and legislative branches, but they also yielded to the city mayor the city council’s jurisdiction as a co-equal branch.

A case of a lightning that strikes twice: their recalcitrance or continuing defiance to attend the official or regular session, and their deliberate move or brazenness to “convene” a session and “passed” resolutions with the presiding officer in the executive territory.

Only members of the city mayor’s cabinet are supposed to hold “sessions” inside the executive foxhole, not members of a legislature with the same electoral mandate.

Politics must have reared its ugly face early last year when the city councilors tried to unseat Dadivas as presiding officer in a special session on Nov. 20, 2014.

DECLARE

They approved a resolution declaring loss of confidence in Dadivas.

They were, however, stopped in their tracks by Regional Trial Court Judge Ignacio Alajar who issued a TRO against the city councilors after Dadivas sought a temporary restraining order (TRO)/injunction with the court.

The court prohibited them from holding sessions without the knowledge and authority of the presiding officer.

Dadivas has filed charges of usurpation of authority, grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of public officials, and dereliction of duty against the city councilors before the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Dadivas was contemplating also to file a petition with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to declare their position vacant.

A special election may be called if the Comelec will take cognizance of the vice mayor’s petition “because they--with malice aforethought--abandoned their duty as elected councilors of Roxas City.”

The city councilors, however, remained unfazed.

It’s so sad that politics has become the biggest stumbling block in the city’s march to progress and unity.

They have become fragmented politically.

No less than Capiz-pride DILG chief Mar Roxas has repeatedly enunciated the need for people of the city and province to unite because of the “bigger battle” they will face in 2016, whatever that means.