Mayor, council in spat over new order

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – A spat between the executive and the legislative is getting bigger.

Semantics and procedures on how to execute the upcoming Strawberry Festival may yet be the sole setback in this year’s staging.

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Author of the Strawberry Festival ordinance Councilor Roderick Awingan took the council’s stand crying foul over Mayor Greg Abalos’s Administrative Order pertaining to the festival.

Awingan said the mayor’s newest order “redefined the functions of the executive committee” created in the municipal ordinance.

Awingan’s ordinance started with the title “Expressing indifference to the administrative order” but was toned down by colleagues to avoid further friction between the two branches of government.

Awingan’s resolution was rephrased to “Respectfully requesting the mayor to reconsider amending the Administrative Order to conform to the municipal ordinance number 5 in the celebration of the strawberry festival.”

Weeks ago, Abalos said a team has already been formed to plan the activities of the festival, which is aimed to improve the previous year’s celebrations.

The council agreed with Awingan and expressed alarm over the functions of the new administrative order when an ordinance is already in place, saying the mayor’s order is not in accordance to the ordinance. (Ma. Elena Catajan)