BAGUIO CITY — Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla has vowed to resolve the issue surrounding the suspended mayor and vice mayor of Urdaneta City, Pangasinan.
Remulla was in Baguio City for consultations with local government units and various government agencies in Baguio and Benguet as part of his regional visit.
During his visit, he met with local executives, DILG branches in the region, the Cordillera Philippine National Police, the National Police Commission, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
In a meeting with members of the Baguio media at the Bell House in Camp John Hay on Wednesday, Remulla addressed the ongoing defiance of suspended Urdaneta City Mayor Julio Parayno III and Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno.
The two officials were ordered by the Office of the President to vacate their positions for one year due to grave misconduct and abuse of authority.
On 8 January, the DILG Region 1 served the suspension order to the Paraynos, but the mayor was not present at the time.
In previous statements, the mayor claimed that he was not suspended, asserting that he had not signed any suspension order and was on sick leave. However, the Office of the Governor of Pangasinan confirmed that there was no approved leave for the mayor.
Mayor Parayno also argued that the suspension order was served during the election ban, making it illegal.
In response, the Commission on Elections clarified that serving the suspension order did not violate the election ban, as it did not fall within the prohibited period for suspending elected officials.
Remulla emphasized that the DILG would resolve the issue within the next 10 days. He revealed that the suspended mayor continued to sign official documents.
The Secretary noted that the concerned agencies, such as the Commission on Audit and LandBank, had been informed that the suspended official should no longer be authorized to sign documents or engage in transactions. He added that these actions would be used to strengthen the charges against Mayor Parayno.