Chan’s camp to Radaza on office dispute: Respect, follow DILG’s direction

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The camp of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan once again asked Congresswoman Paz Radaza to vacate the Office of the District Representative inside the city hall building following the statement of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año that the lady lawmaker cannot insist to stay in the same office.

The battle of office space is still on in Lapu-Lapu City even as Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año announced that Representative Paz Radaza (left) needs to vacate the space she is occupying at the Lapu-Lapu City Hall. Mayor Junard Chan (right) has repeatedly asked Radaza to leave the space which the former mayor refused to take heed. CDND FILE PHOTOS

City Legal Officer James Allan Sayson, in an interview with CDN Digital, said they are set to take steps to claim the space now occupied by the district representative after Año’s statement.

Sayson said Mayor Chan, who is currently in Manila for a training sponsored by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for newly-elected chief executives, has already been notified of Año’s stand.

“He is aware already but he has not given any instructions yet. But I am sure there will be steps taken probably within the week when he returns from Manila or perhaps next week,” said Sayson.

READ: DILG to Paz Radaza: Find a new office

Año said that Radaza, as part of the legislative branch of the national government, should not stay in the City Hall, a local government unit.

CDN Digital tried to get the side of Radaza through her staff from the Office of the District Representative.

Radaza’s office has not responded to messages sent as of 10:26 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10.

“We would like to thank Secretary Año for speaking out his position on the issue. With this, it proves that our position from day one was correct… that the power to allocate offices is vested with the city mayor and the insistence of the camp of the congresswoman on the illegal ordinance is misplaced,” Sayson said.

READ: Lapu Mayor Chan tries to shoo away Rep. Radaza from her City Hall office

On July 1, Chan asked Radaza to vacate the office space inside the city hall within 24 hours as he intends to hold office there.

But Radaza, in a reply to Chan, said she will not heed the mayor’s request as she believes that she is entitled to have an office in the city hall.

Radaza said this is possible because a city ordinance passed on June 6, 2019 gave the district representative an office at the city hall. / celr