Belmonte challenges Regencia’s ‘authority’

By Nora Soriño, Iligan Bureau Chief
and Sita Asequia, Correspondent

Iligan City — In its regular session of the 16th Sangguniang Panlungsod, Councilor Queenie Belmonte questioned the status of city mayor Celso G. Regencia.

This was in connection with the request for authority of Regencia to enter into and sign the Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development  10 for the implementation of various programs, projects and activities otherwise known as “PPAs.”

Belmonte said that in giving authority to the city’s chief executive, the name of Regencia should not be specified as he is presently detained and because of his detention his capacity is in question.

However, Councilor Petronilo Pardillo raised a point opposing Belmonte’s statement saying that as long as there was no petition questioning the matter and the mayor was reelected overwhelmingly in the last elections, then he is the mayor and “all the powers therein.”

Vice mayor Jemar Vera Cruz, who presided the session, divided the house to determine if Regencia can “legitimately” enter into any memorandum of agreement. All councilors in attendance voted affirmatively except for two councilors who abstained namely, Belmonte and Cesarve Siacor, president of the Association of Barangay Chairpersons.

To recall, there was a temporary restraining order issued by Judge Ombra Ali Bacaraman  Presiding Judge of the regional trial court of  Lanao Norte-Branch 4 which overturned an earlier TRO and Preliminary Injunction which ruled that Regencia could still function as mayor even if currently detained, citing several samples like Reps. Gloria Arroyo and Romeo Jalosjos.

Bacaraman also cited another case in his decision preventing Regencia’s continued assumption as mayor and stated that then Vice Mayor Ruderic Marzo should assume as acting mayor. The mayor’s camp, though, through city legal officer Voltaire Rovira issued a memo to Marzo’s appointed officers-in-charge to three department heads since the latter were on-leave at the time that should they (the OIC department heads) act as OICs they would face various charges in court even as the mayor’s camp would file a Motion for Reconsideration as to said TRO.

It is worth noting, too, that Marzo was not installed by the DILG as then acting mayor even as it was noted by observers that there was no more time for such.

In her earlier statements to reporters, Vera Cruz said he has no desire to act as acting mayor.

To recall, Regencia is currently detained at the City NJail at Tipanoy in connection with the ambush of the convoy of then Rep. Vicente Belmonte, Jr.

Councilor Belmonte is the daughter of Vicente, who, together with councilor Bernard Pacana were the only ones in the Liberal Party who won in the last elections. Then councilor Frederick Siao, identified with the LP but who ran as independent, also won as representative of the city’s lone district.