BAGUIO CITY — The seventh and eighth ranked councilors of Urdaneta City, Pangasinan assumed the posts of mayor and vice mayor, respectively on Monday 31 March.

In the report of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 1 Regional Director Jonathan Leusen to DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, he confirmed that councilors Rio Virgilio Esteves and Blesildo Sumera accepted the posts left vacant after Julio Parayno III and Jimmy Parayno were suspended as mayor and vice mayor, respectively by the Office of the President.

The two officials were suspended for grave misconduct and abuse of authority. However, the suspended mayor stood his ground contesting the action against them claiming they did nothing wrong. Parayno III defiantly continued to function as the mayor and still occupied his office. He also continued to sign transaction papers and other documents despite the suspension order against him.

On 14 March, the DILG escorted by the Police Regional Office 1 enforced the order against the Paraynos and barred their entry to the City Hall of Urdaneta City.

Esteves and Sumera formally started their functions that will go on until new elected officials for the positions they are now occupying will assume.

Meanwhile, in a video posted on a social media page, the suspended mayor in one of his sorties insist that the suspension against him and the other Parayno is not proper as they did nothing wrong. He also announced that even though he is not using his office at the Urdaneta City Hall, he is still the one who is signing the official papers and documents as he is still the mayor of the city.