Caloocan dads want vice mayor 'disciplined'

MANILA, Philippines -  Two Caloocan City councilors want to impose disciplinary action on Vice Mayor Edgar Erice for allegedly disrupting council sessions for the past several months.

District 1 Councilor Ramon Te, the city council’s assistant majority leader, and District 2 Councilor Luis Abel said in a joint statement that they have already passed a resolution during last week’s session seeking to suspend Erice for 60 days. They cited the council’s internal rules, which state that acts or declarations that offend a person or public institution may be declared “unparliamentary.”

The councilors accused Erice of allegedly walking out and halting weekly sessions without giving sufficient reason to members of the council, of suddenly calling for recess and not returning to the session, turning off the microphone and tape recorder while the session is ongoing, and for allegedly opposing all approved resolutions.

“Members who may be found guilty of disorderly behavior may be censured, reprimanded, excluded from the session or suspended for not more than 60 days,” the two councilors said.

Erice, in a telephone interview, challenged the city council to approve the resolution.

“The accusations have no legal basis. Second, the city council has no jurisdiction to suspend the presiding officer. It’s only the President who has the power to do that,” Erice said.