PALACE ORDERS SUSPENSION OF URDANETA MAYOR, VICE MAYOR

THE Office of the President has ordered the suspension for 12 months of Urdaneta City, Pangasinan Mayor Julio Parayno and Vice Mayor Jimmy Parayno for alleged grave misconduct and grave abuse of office. 

The suspension order was issued by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin of the Office of the President on January 3, 2025 based on an administrative complaint filed by Michael Brian Perez, barangay chief of San Vicente, Urdaneta City Pangasinan on October 28, 2022.

According to the decision, a thorough investigation proved that the Paraynos are liable for the cases and were ordered suspended for six months for grave misconduct and six months for grave abuse of authority.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Region 1 director Jonathan Paul Leusen Jr. instructed attorney Leovigildo Bunggubung Jr. and attorney Michael John Borja to implement the decision of the Malacanang to suspend the Paraynos for one year.

The decision stemmed from the complaint filed by  Perez against the Urdaneta mayor and vice mayor.

On June 15, 2022, Perez was placed under indefinite suspension on the basis of a manifesto seeking his removal from being the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) and ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Urdaneta.

This prompted him to seek clarification from the national president of the LnB, the Provincial Board of Pangasinan, and the DILG.

Both the LnB and the DILG found the suspension of Perez as erroneous. The LnB still recognized him as the Urdaneta LnB president while the DILG stated that Perez’ suspension has no legal basis.

The San Vicente village chief alleged that despite the clarifications of the national LnB and the DILG, the vice mayor refused to recognize him as an ex-officio member of the  Urdaneta SP and refused to allow him to participate in their regular session on  October 5, 2022.

Perez also said he found out that another village captain was voted in place of him.

The complainant added that the Paraynos prohibited him from returning to his position as LnB president and ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panglungsod.