Walkout mars NE dads’ session on dengue outbreak

GEN. TINIO, Nueva Ecija — A special session called specifically to discuss strategies to combat the outbreak of the dreaded dengue here was marred when a municipal councilor walked out after the majority reportedly inserted in the agenda the request for the council’s approval of a P40-million loan application with the World Bank for the construction of classrooms.

Last Tuesday’s session ended when councilor Jun Abesamis walked out following a verbal tussle with fellow councilor Samuel Pestrana of the majority coalition who presided over the session in the absence of Vice Mayor Indira Dayupay.

The council’s majority is allied with Mayor Isidro Pajarillaga, a former ally of Dayupay.

Dayupay was Pajarillaga’s running mate in the 2004 elections, but their relationship later soured due to policy differences, culminating in the vice mayor’s resignation last July 11.

Abesamis questioned the insertion of the World Bank loan application in the agenda of the special session which was called purposely to discuss the dengue outbreak which has claimed the lives of at least four residents.

Shortly after Abesamis stormed out of the session hall, the other councilors followed suit, resulting in an abrupt end to the session.

Dayupay said the majority coalition railroaded the session which, she added, was held illegally since it is her, as the presiding officer, who prepares the agenda for any special session.

She said she was surprised that when she called for a special session the next day, no one showed up. She was more stunned to learn from Abesamis that a special session was held the previous day.

Dayupay said Pastrana’s group could be charged with usurpation of authority and for holding an illegal session.

Pastrana’s group, she said, ordered all the staffers of the Sangguniang Bayan out of the session hall before they started the meeting.

She added that the group asked council secretary Angelo Sanchez to record the minutes of the special session, but the latter did not obey, fearing a possible infraction of parliamentary procedures.

This, she said, prompted Pastrana’s group to ask two employees of the municipal administrator’s office to record the minutes of the meeting.

Councilor Arlan Esteban, an ally of Dayupay, said the majority only used the special session to pass the resolution on the loan application.

"It was obvious that they had a hidden agenda because before the session was held, they met at the mayor’s office," Esteban said.

Pastrana could not be contacted for comment.