"IT'S time that we move on from this issue and go ahead and proceed with doing real public service."
This was stressed by Bacolod City Councilor Em Ang, who delivered a privileged speech during the regular session at the City Council Friday.
This, after their recent trip was criticized by Councilor Ricardo Tan.
On July 19, Ang, along with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran and Councilors Caesar Distrito, Dindo Ramos, Cindy Rojas, Renecito Novero and Bartolome Orola were on an official trip to Long Beach, California.
All councilors including the newly-elected Barangay League president Lady Gles Gonzales were present in the session.
In a privileged speech, Ang clarified they were on an official travel to California, USA, upon the invitation of Long Beach City Mayor Robert Garcia in fulfillment of the terms of the renewal of the sister-city relations between Long Beach and Bacolod forged last year.
Ang said Bacolod and Long Beach established a sister city linkage in 1994 but such partnership has been inactive prior to last year when at the behest of Bacolodnons in California, the city council passed a unanimous resolution to renew the sister city relations.
"Long Beach has a total of 12 sister cities and three friendship cities. All exchange programs and activities are managed by Sister Cities of Long Beach Inc. The other purpose of the trip is to attend the 1st MassKara Festival in Long Beach organized by the LBBA. For the record, this is the first MassKara Festival held outside of Bacolod City," she said.
Ang said that they secured the appropriate travel authorization from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and they also filed their respective leave applications for the period outside of the authorized official business.
She said her leave as well as the leave of Orola was approved and signed by Tan, acting as Vice Mayor at the time of their application.
"All administrative requirements that should be attached to the application have been complied with. Although travel expenses cannot be charged against local government funds, those that committed to go agreed to pay for their own airfare, which with the assistance of the PAL management, was the lowest fare available," she added.
Ang also narrated their activities in America along with City Planning Office head Jean Ramos and City Administrator Atty.
John Orola, who is a former tourism attache to Los Angeles and has the proper connections with the Fil-Am diplomatic and cultural communities in California.
"No public funds or were expended. We have learned so much, we now see governance and public service with a fresh outlook, a new and broader perspective and armed with these learning and network, ready to replicate and continue what we have set out to do in the first place. I needed to make this report because even while we are 7,500 miles away, we have learned that the SP was unable to muster a quorum to conduct business for the two weeks that we were away and that we are being blamed for quote 'giving a black eye to the good name of Bacolod City' unquote. I take exception in that comment because the truth is on the contrary. Numerous insinuations of misconduct have been thrown at our direction and this needs to be addressed," she said.
She added: "while we were away, the services in our respective offices continued. My staff made the rounds of barangays doing micro medical missions, distributing multivitamins, common cough and cough medicines. I and Councilor Rojas continued collaborating with environment watch groups and continued our consultations with various sectors on the proposed ordinances...The vice mayor's office was distributing uniforms to jeepney drivers, conducting feeding programs, and continued social services. The same is true with the offices of the other councilors in the delegation."
Ang noted that there was no service delayed or hampered.
"I think it's time that we move on from this issue and go ahead and proceed with doing real public service. Shameless promoters of negative propaganda and disinformation will just feed on this. Sometimes, one person's penchant for running off with his mouth can muddle even the most perfect messages and sincerest intentions. And since the local election is just around the corner, voters might think that we are simply creating political noise," Ang said.
"For us to move forward, we need leaders who are less interested in promoting their own interest, and their own party, and more interested in leaving behind the enduring example and legacy of service. We did a massive and extensive promotion of our beloved city at our own expense," she added.
For his part, Tan said he will deliver a privilege speech next week.
