 |
| New Laoag City Vice Mayor Franklin Respicio (second from left) during a public hearing (Dom dela Cruz) |
By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Laoag City—The most senior member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod has succeeded the late Laoag vice mayor Michael V. Fariñas.
Erstwhile majority floor leader councilor Franklin Dante A. Respicio assumed the vacated office through the law of succession.
Mr. Respicio took his oath of office before Regional Trial Court Branch 12 Judge Nida D. Alejandro at around 8:30 am on June 18, 2018.
After his formal assumption to the office, he said that there will be some changes at the council especially since he will vacate his committee chairmanships, vice chairmanships and memberships.
As chairman of the committee on Laws, Rules and Privileges; Education and Ethics, he said that the council is presently studying who will take over these committees.
He added that they also need to consider of the assumption to office of the newly elected Sangguniang Kabataan Laoag Federated President Anzhelyka Faye Lao as ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
“Dawatek man iti kooperasyon dagiti kameng iti konseho iti siyudad iti Laoag kas iti inpaay da a kooperasyon iti konseho iti dati nga ay-ayaten tayo a Bise Mayor Michael V. Fariñas,” Mr. Respicio appealed to the members of the city council.
With Mr. Respicio’s assumption, a seat at the council became vacant.
The rule on this says that someone from the same party of the former councilor should fill the vacancy.
Mr. Respicio is a Nacionalista Party (NP) member, and as such the vacancy should come from the same party. The law further tasks the head of the party locally to appoint a party member to fill the vacancy.
The new vice mayor also assured that the council will follow the same cooperation and support it had with the current administration headed by Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Farinas.
“Makita tayo met iti liderato na nga ipakpikita na ken serbisyo nga ipapaay na kadagiti kalugaran tayo iti siyudad iti Laoag ket namnamaen iti mayora tayo nga iti konseho iti siudad iti Laoag ket adda a sisusuporta kenkuana a kanayon,” Mr. Respicio stressed.
Meanwhile, city interior and local government officer Andres Vendiola said the law assumes Mr. Respicio’s allowable three straight terms as “unfinished” after his assumption to the vice mayoralty post.
In view of this, Mr. Vendiola said the new vice mayor can still run for the council in the next elections if he wishes to.