Suspended Pasay mayor’s supporters leave City Hall

Supporters of suspended Pasay Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad finally left the City Hall grounds yesterday after eight days of holding vigil in protest of the suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman against Trinidad.

Acting Mayor Allan Panaligan said the crowd has vacated the City Hall premises, restoring normalcy to the seat of the local government.

"We expect the City Hall to be officially back in business, at least starting Monday. Programs for city residents will again be implemented now that things are in their proper places," Panaligan said.

Trinidad’s supporters started leaving the City Hall grounds starting Friday afternoon after Trinidad reportedly dropped by and appealed to the people to go home.

Panaligan said that apart from the garbage issue, he would prioritize health and social welfare programs for the residents.

He said he will also assess the performance of employees and determine their effectiveness on the job. "In the case of career service officers, I will of course, recognize that they have security of tenure," he said.

Trinidad, Vice Mayor Antonino Calixto and 10 councilors were suspended for their involvement in alleged anomalous garbage collection and disposal contracts.

On Tuesday, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) administered the oath-taking of Panaligan and Councilor Arvin Tolentino as acting mayor and vice mayor, respectively.

Panaligan, Tolentino and Councilors RJ Cabrera and Marlon Pesebre successfully took over City Hall last Thursday despite the presence of Trinidad’s supporters. The four were the only members of the City Council not suspended by the Ombudsman.