- CHERYL G. CRUZ
Councilors Israel Salanga and Em Ang have been designated as acting mayor and vice mayor of Bacolod City, respectively, from Sept. 13 to 17.
This as Mayor Alfredo Benitez and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, with other members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, are on official travel to Hong Kong to attend the Belt and Road Summit, jointly organized by the Government of Hongkong, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
Salanga and Ang are the second and fourth highest-ranking sanggunian members, respectively, in the 2022 midterm elections.
Secretary Benhur Abalos of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, in his memo to Ang received Sept. 12, said the designation as VM in acting capacity is pursuant to Administrative Order No. 15 issued by the President… “to fill temporary vacancies in certain local elective offices to prevent hiatus in and paralysis of local government operations…”
“Fill up the temporary vacancy created due to the approved travel to Hong Kong of Benitez, Familiaran, and councilors Jude Thaddeus Sayson and Cindy Rojas from Sept. 13 to 14 to attend the Belt and Road Summit…and on Sept. 15 to 17 while on a leave of absence, for personal reasons,” Abalos told Ang.
Salanga shall automatically exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions of the mayor, except the power to appoint, suspend, or dismiss employees, during the period of the approved travel abroad, Abalos added./CGC
