BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla has given Urdaneta City Mayor Julio Parayno III and Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno ten days to comply with their suspension order, which was issued early last month.
Speaking at a brief news conference in Baguio on Wednesday, Remulla addressed the situation, stating, “I give them 10 days [from Wednesday].” He was in the city to meet with local officials and barangay leaders from Baguio and Benguet ahead of the upcoming midterm elections on May 12.
Suspension Over Misconduct Case
The suspension of the Paraynos stemmed from a Jan. 3 order by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, which found them administratively liable for grave misconduct and abuse of authority. The case was related to their removal of the Liga ng mga Barangay president from the city council in 2022.
Despite the order, both officials have yet to step down, prompting the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to issue an ultimatum last week.
Mayor Parayno, however, argued that he was not properly served the suspension order on Jan. 7, as he was on an official leave of absence. He also claimed that the implementation of the order should be delayed since the midterm election season had already begun.
As no city employee accepted the order on his behalf, the DILG posted copies on the office doors of both the mayor and vice mayor.
Comelec’s Stand on the Suspension
On Feb. 4, Mayor Parayno shared a letter from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on his social media page. According to the letter, Comelec had not received any request for approval from Malacañang regarding the suspension.
Comelec rules state that “No public official shall, except upon prior written approval of the Commission, suspend any elective provincial, city, municipal, or barangay officer…from Jan. 12, 2025, to June 11, 2025.”
Parayno emphasized that “it is not the decision of the suspension itself that is prohibited, but rather the implementation of it without prior approval of the commission.”
While the Office of the President has issued a final and executory decision, the mayor said they plan to appeal the ruling before the Court of Appeals.
DILG’s Stance on Election Security
In a press conference held at Camp John Hay on Wednesday, Secretary Remulla stressed that he does not tolerate “malfeasance”—a stance he maintained as Cavite governor before being appointed DILG chief by President Marcos.
He also discussed his agency’s efforts to curb vote-buying and other election violations, as well as the government’s crackdown on private armed groups and militias, particularly in areas prone to election-related violence, including Abra province, Ormoc City, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
