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DILG order ends Baguio City Hall controversy

Yaranon still mayor

BAGUIO CITY (July 27) — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) finally ends the political controversy hounding the Baguio City Hall after an order affirmed that Mayor Braulio Yaranon is still the legitimate mayor.

DILG Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar last Wednesday, July 26 disclosed that Malacañang instructed to maintain a “status quo” prior to the issuance of a decision over Yaranon’s motion for reconsideration over his one year suspension.

Andanar also issued a memorandum to DILG-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) reiterating Malacañang’s order.

“We’re happy of course that everything turned out in accordance with law,” Yaranon said.

It can be recalled that on June 26, the Office of the President decided to suspend Yaranon for a year finding him guilty of abuse of authority and oppression in a complaint filed by a private parking firm. Yaranon filed a motion for reconsideration insisting that the 5-year old contract of the city and the parking firm is “void ab initio” and has to be junked and that “roads are beyond the commerce of man”.

However, DILG Legal Service division Director III Emeterio Moreno Jr. ruled that “a motion for reconsideration shall not stay the execution of a decision,” citing Section 3, Rule 10 of Administrative Order 23 issued by the Office of the President.

Instead of hitting Vice-mayor Reinaldo Bautista, Jr., Yaranon issued an administrative order affirming normal operations in the city hall—him as mayor and Bautista as vice-mayor. ”We will continue to discharge our official functions,” Yaranon said.

However, he warned career government officials and employees at city hall into taking sides in partisan politics saying that they are responsible for their actions and that he would not hesitate to file appropriate cases against them.

Meanwhile, Bautista claimed he received the “status quo” ruling both in good and bad light. It is good, he said, because the apparent impasse at the city hall has been acted upon. However, he said, it is bad because Malacañang reversed its own decision.

“Imagine an undersecretary (i.e. USec Andanar) taking orders from a director III (i.e Dir. Moreno)? Both DILG officials disregarded the order from the Office of the President, not to mention the basis- Administrative Order 23,” he said.

Bautista further claimed that both DILG officials were “guided” by Yaranon’s camp.

“There are no other laws governing administrative cases except AO23. I can understand that he is not a lawyer, he keeps on relying on so-called legal luminaries who have a very shallow understanding of the law,” Yaranon said as he hit some councilors.

Last Monday, city executives sought a fast resolution of the situation where Bautista had sworn in as “acting mayor” but Yaranon still sits as mayor. This situation, they claimed, “presents legal implications that may jeopardize our positions and decisions.”

The two-paged manifesto of 13 of the 17-man department heads claimed that the issue on who lays legal claim over the mayoralty post “has resulted in an impasse, which if left unresolved will cause serious implications on government transactions and hence will affect the delivery of basic services.” # Ace Alegre for NORDIS

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