DILG, cops enforce suspension order vs Urdaneta mayor, vice mayor

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Police remain deployed at city hall to help the DILG prevent suspended Mayor Rammy Parayno and Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno from performing their duties

PANGASINAN, Philippines – Police tightened security around Urdaneta city hall as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) enforced a suspension order from Malacañang against the city’s mayor and vice mayor.

Since Friday, March 14, officers have been deployed to city hall under instructions from Police Regional Director Brigadier General Lou Evangelista to help the DILG prevent Mayor Julio “Rammy” Parayno III and Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno from performing their duties.

The DILG has appointed councilors Franco del Prado and Warren Andrada to serve as acting mayor and acting vice mayor, respectively, during the suspension period. Both are political allies of the Paraynos.

The Paraynos have not appeared at city hall since Friday, a day after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla issued a memorandum to DILG-Region I Director Jonathan Paul Leusen.

In the March 13 memorandum, Remulla directed the DILG regional office to stop the officials from “entering the premises of the entire City Hall Building and any of its satellite offices and extensions,” fully implementing the suspension order from Malacañang.

The officials were suspended for one year, with each offense carrying a five-month penalty.

The local publication The Sunday Punch reported that Michael Brian Perez, son of former city mayor Amadeo Perez IV, was allegedly removed by the Paraynos from his position as Liga ng Barangay president and ex-officio member of the Urdaneta city council.

In 2022, Perez filed cases of grave misconduct and grave abuse of authority against the Paraynos.

Over local broadcaster Aksyon Radyo-Pangasinan, Evangelista said police personnel were deployed solely to provide security for DILG personnel enforcing the suspension order.

On February 19, Remulla gave the Paraynos a 10-day deadline to comply with the Malacañang suspension order. Initially, the officials had defied the order, arguing that it was improperly implemented.

They have maintained that because the election period began on January 12, any suspension should require clearance from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

However, the Comelec stated that the suspension order, issued on January 7, was valid.

The Paraynos have filed a petition with the Urdaneta City Regional Trial Court Branch 57 seeking a temporary restraining order, arguing that the status quo should be maintained pending a court decision.  – Rappler.com