Tribal leaders slam suspension of mayor

SHOW OF SUPPORT to Mayor Nieverose Camma-Meneses protesting her suspension. 

By Leander Domingo

NAGTIPUNAN, Quirino -- United under the leadership of the Bugkalot tribe, leaders of several tribes denounced the decision of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to suspend Nagtipunan Mayor Nieverose Camma-Meneses.
    "This is purely political and only aimed to oust the mayor from her post to give chance to [the SP's] bet, who will be fielded in the 2022 national and local elections," the tribal leaders said in a statement, led by Chieftain Rosario Camma of the Bugkalot Federation in the provinces of Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, Aurora and Nueva Ecija.
    Camma, the father of the mayor, said the SP decision and execution order was "wrong and only intended to harm" the mayor.
    He said the SP does not have the jurisdiction over the case against Mayor Meneses.
    Camma, who was a former mayor of the town, said that it was not for the legislative body, through the vice governor, to issue an "order of execution" for the mayor to vacate her post, but rather it was for the executive department through the office of the governor.
    Meanwhile, Meneses said the order of execution ‒ released on July 16, 2021 (issued together with the decision of suspension), which was signed by Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Vaquilar ‒ was contrary to the original SP rule that mandated the provincial governor to issue an executive order to enforce such a decision.

Also a former provincial board member, Meneses noted in a statement that the separation of powers between the SP, as a legislative body, constituting itself as a quasi-judicial tribunal, and the office of the provincial governor, as the executive department, has been violated.