BAGUIO CITY – Councilor Maria Mylen Victoria G. Yaranon underscored that local legislative bodies must act independently whoever will be sitting as the city’s local chief executive.
Yaranon, who aspiring for the city’s vice mayoralty post, said that the collegial body should be working as an indent arm of the government following the distinct role of the executive, legislative and judiciary branches of government but without compromising its ability to harmoniously work with the executive branch relative to the priority programs, projects and activities of the sitting local chief executive.
“We will closely work with whoever will be the sitting local chief executive but we will not in any way compromise our independence so that we will not be accused of being bias,” Yaranon stressed.
The lady local legislators claimed that much had been said by the public on their observations relative to the way the city council acts on matters, especially that their sessions are being live streamed, thus, appropriate reforms must be instituted to avoid similar conclusions on the collegial body in the future.
She pointed out that there are numerous ways on how to collaborate and critically work with whoever will be at the helm of the city but what is important is that the local legislative body should be left alone to independently decide on issues and concerns being brought to the body for appropriate action.
According to her, within the first six months in office, the council must review, modify, adopt or approve the term-based plans in the following year’s budget of the local government as well as review the annual budget of its component barangays.
Yaranon emphasized that legislative work should be consistent with the executive-legislative agenda (ELA), thus, there should be a continuing tasks and responsibilities of the council that are drawn from the Local government code of the Philippines and from other pertinent national laws and policies, including the city charter. Contributed article
