Members of the Philippine Councilors' League (PCL) pushed for a resolution condemning the alleged manhandling of a Manila city councilor during the takeover of a slaughterhouse in Manila.
Many councilors expressed outrage over the incident last Friday, where Manila Councilor Dennis Alcoreza and some officials of the Vitas Slaughterhouse in Tondo were carried out by police operatives from the said facility during a takeover by the City Hall.
The councilors said they are one in condemning the violation of the rights of one of their colleagues.
More than 5,000 city and municipal councilors are converging in Naga City for the league's two-day convention, which will commence Friday.
Some activities during the convention are the legislative education session and the PCL's national board meeting.
Senators Francis "Chiz" Escudero and Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino are set to attend the convention.
Manila councilors to file resolution
Manila city councilors earlier said they will file a resolution to investigate the local government's allegedly "inhuman" takeover of the slaughterhouse.
Majority leader Manuel Zarcal said he and 23 other councilors want an investigation into the executive order issued by Mayor Alfredo Lim that implemented the takeover.
The takeover was carried out by employees of the Office of the Mayor and members of the Manila Police District.
Alcoreza, whose family manages Dealco Farms that operates the slaughterhouse, and employees were dragged out of his office by policemen.
Zarcal said that as far as he knows, Lim has no right to unilaterally junk the local government’s contract with Dealco, which he said was approved by the city council.
"The power given by the city council can only be revoked by the city council," he said.
On Tuesday, Zarcal led 23 other councilors in resigning from their respective city council committees.
The resignations, however, lasted for only minutes since they were re-elected to their committees in a hastily called election led by Vice Mayor Isko Moreno.
The councilors said they resigned to express their disappointment over the police’s treatment on Alcoreza.
"We cannot let this pass, the inhuman treatment of a fellow councilor, who was elected by the residents of Manila," Zarcal said.
In a separate interview, Alcoreza said politics could be behind the allegedly illegal takeover of the slaughterhouse since he ran under the ticket of Ali Atienza, Lim's main opponent in the May 2007 elections.
Alcoreza added that the takeover was based on a "very small loophole" taken advantage by the Office of the Mayor.
He said Lim’s order was based on Dealco's decision to build a small gym at the slaughterhouse.
"It was cited in the executive order that Dealco cannot build a gym at the slaughterhouse," he said.
Alcoreza said the rift between Lim and the councilors can only be mended if the mayor bows down and accepts his mistake in taking over the slaughter house. With a report from Jao Romero, ABS-CBN Naga