Treñas, Mabilog deny snubbing LMP-initiated dialog with transport groups
City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog denied that they snubbed the dialog called by the League of the Municipalities in the Philippines (LMP) regarding the implementation of the Perimeter Boundary Ordinance (PBO) that affects the municipal jeepneys.
Treñas said prior to Wednesday's meeting, he informed LMP President Raul Tupas that could not be present since he will be attending a meeting of the board of trustees of the Institute for Solidarity in Asia in Manila.
"They knew all along that I will not be around during the LMP meeting. I don't even have to explain my absence to them," Treñas said.
He added that he also informed Governor Niel Tupas Sr. that he could not attend the meeting.
The chief executive refused to give more comments on the insinuations that cropped up because of his non-attendance in the LMP meeting.
For his part, Vice Mayor Mabilog said he did not attend the meeting since they have a regular session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Wednesday afternoon, the same time the dialog was held at the Capitol.
It was learned that nobody from the city was present at the dialog which was attended by representatives of various transport groups and LMP officials led by Mayor Tupas.
Mabilog and Treñas were criticized by the transport groups because of their absence in last Wednesday's LMP meeting.
Mabilog added that he also informed Councilor Erwin Plagata, chairman of the committee on transportation, communication and public utilities regarding the meeting. Plagata however was not invited in the meeting.
Mabilog urged the municipal mayors not to close their doors on Councilor Plagata. Plagata is the chair of the SP committee on transportation and same time heads the Technical Working Group that formulates plans to ease the traffic situation in the city.
The vice mayor cited the importance of Plagata in the resolution of the complaints of the out of town drivers over the implementation of the PBO. The legislative body will pass an ordinance depending on the proposal of the committee on traffic.
He said the decision over the traffic ordinance does not entirely depend on the vice mayor but to the entire city council.