Vice Mayor and 9 councilors of the city of Nueva Vizcaya oppose the 6-month suspension

BAGUIO CITY – The vice mayor and nine members of the 10-member Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Bagabag town in Nueva Vizcaya vowed to resist and will seek to have their six-month suspension annulled.

Bagabag Deputy Mayor Johnny Sevillana said they will file a motion for retrial (MR) and a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the suspension order issued by Governor Jose Gambito last week.

In Gambito’s suspension decree of June 25, 2024, Sevillana and Bagabag councilors Mario Afalla, Byron Sevillana, Ferdinand Douglas Inaldo, Elpidio Torio, Martillianao Dulay, Efren Reyes, Leodevico Jallorina, Ronald Quaoil and Jezsa Mia Cadiente were sentenced to vacate their offices for six months for dereliction of duty and grave abuse of office.

In 2023, Bagabag Mayor Benigno Calauad complained against the vice mayor and members of the Sangguniang Bayan for their alleged inexplicable delay and inaction on important city laws, which resulted in disruption of services to its citizens.

Calauad also complained about the inaction of officials on matters he had deemed urgent. They also complained about the repeated return of the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) which resulted in an unreasonable delay in its preparation and adoption, the malicious and illegal adoption of the Annual Budget Ordinance for the year 2023 due to the unjustified adjournment of other business matters during the regular sessions of the SB 2023 prior to the adoption of the Budget Ordinance, the illegal insertion of new budget items not included in the Executive Budget, and the illegal increase of the total budget included in the appropriations over the proposed Executive Budget.

However, Sevillana announced that she would appeal the suspension because proper procedures were not followed before Gambito was suspended.

The controversial vice mayor also argued that the DILG cannot implement the suspension because Gambito’s order does not specify when such suspension should take effect.

Sevillena also vowed that they will continue to act as SBs.