SEVENTEEN members of the city council known to be supporters of former Manila mayor Isko Moreno on Wednesday filed a petition for injunction before the Manila Regional Trial Court against Vice Mayor Yul Servo and several other city officials allied with Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan for allegedly conducting an unauthorized session at the height of Typhoon Carina when the city council was supposed to be in recess.
Besides Servo, included as respondents were 3rd District Councilor Ernesto Isip Jr., 6th District Councilor Salvador Philip Lacuna, and 19 other councilors.
The respondents denied the allegation, saying the session was made public via live stream.
Councilor Joel Villanueva said they want to determine through a proper legal proceeding if the session held on July 23 was legal when Malacañang had declared the cancellation of work due to the typhoon.
Villanueva alleged that discussed during the session was the removal of committees held by Moreno’s allies.
He added that the accused officials also initiated an unsanctioned transfer of funds.
“While Typhoon Carina was raging that day, the accused respondents were able to prioritize this matter and the transfer of City Council funds amounting to more than P83 million to the mayor’s office,” Villanueva said.
“We believe that this can only be resolved in court. We are hoping that the ‘secret session’ is nullified since it was conducted without due process and no notice was received by our group,” he added.
Moreno, who made public his intention to run as mayor anew, supposedly left the Asenso Manileño party, to which Lacuna-Pangan and the majority of the members of the incumbent city council belong.
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