BANGUI, Ilocos Norte—For at least six times, the Sangguniang Bayan of this town was unable to hold a session due to lack of quorum as four of the councilors and the town vice mayor are on travel abroad.

Reached by this report, Ilocos Norte Governor Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said these elected officials would answer to the voters in six months time.

“The elected officials of this town are answerable to the voting public. They don’t need to answer to me, they need to answer to their voters. Kung ayaw ng tao ang kanilang ginagawa, sila’y hushusgahan in six months pagdating ng eleksiyon,” Marcos replied when asked if he has plans to suspend the absentee officials.

As a rule, elected officials can only travel abroad if they have secured the needed requirements, including a permit to travel from the local chief executive.

Based on the records obtained from the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Ilocos Norte, the municipal local government officer of Bangui made a query about the absence of council sessions for several weeks already after it was learned that Bangui Vice Mayor Salvacion Cimatu has earlier filed an official leave of absence from September 11 to October 11 to attend the Sakada centennial celebration in Maui, Hawaii. Bangui Mayor Wilfred A. Gaces approved Cimatu’s travel order.

The four town councilors—Councilors Rogerick Balbag, Imelda Malapit, Alejandro Ragudo and Ambrocio Soriano Jr.—joined Cimatu in her travel to the United States, apparently for the same reason.

Cimatu approved the four councilors’ leave of absence, which official records showed to be as: Balbag, September 11-17; Malapit, September 11-October 13; Ragudo, September 11-November 15; and Soriano, September 11-13.

While they were abroad the councilors requested an extension on their respective vacation leaves: Balbag, four working days while Malapit, Ragudo and Soriano asked for an extension of three days.

Provincial DILG Director Elpidio Ratuita meanwhile stressed that only the local chief executive has the authority to grant the travel request of local elected officials and not the vice mayor.

Ratuita, however also mentioned that Gaces may be liable for the current inactivity of the Bangui Sangguniang Bayan because he allowed the four councilors’ travel abroad, resulting the cancellation of legislative sessions for several weeks now.

Leilanie G. Adriano

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