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LEGISLATIVE LESSONS
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Cotabato City Vice Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi (3rd
from right) in a documentary pictorial with the local government delegation
from Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur as it conducts a study tour in relation to the
dynamics of legislative sessions of the city’s Sanggunian. The visiting
Sangguniang Bayan members are led by Mayor Jun Maglangit (2nd from
right) and Vice Mayor Raida Maglangit (Center). Joining the delegation are some
of the city councillors. --- Photo by
Anne B. Acosta
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Cotabato
City (August 1, 2016) - Cotabato City Vice Mayor Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi
is impressed on what President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is doing for the country
which can be opted for operation by local government units in parallel with
efforts of the national government.
She said the efforts of the President for reforms and
change cannot be solely done by himself in the same way the mayor cannot do it
alone since “we need each other.”
In an interview by Mindanao Expose’, the vice mayor
reiterated Duterte’s point of not using one’s position as an armor to abuse
people. “When you are given the task, like a police officer, perform your
duties but you are not allowed to abuse people.”
On the supposed duration in applying for and releasing of
a passport as enunciated by the President, she said this issue is best left to
be answered by the Department of Foreign Affairs for it is under its turf and
not the local government unit.
On the drive against illegal drugs, she reasoned out the
legalities appertaining to the voluntary surrender of the users and pushers,
citing charges against those who violated the laws. “As a lawyer, I am in the
position to know what is right and wrong…”
On the word surrender, she said what may be appropriate a
term is “surfeit” as these drug dependents may need rehabilitation as first in
the offing or operation to reform. It is not enough that they surrender but
ascertaining they are out of the vice following rehabilitative program which
involves a time-frame and check on or monitoring of their activities.
Only medical professionals and allied specialists can
determine the signs that these drug dependents are out of the doping crisis,
the vice mayor said.
In relation to traffic management and other salient
legislations, Guiani-
Sayadi said the proposed measures to ease the problem(s) have been referred to
the committee level and soon these will be deliberated on the floor during
regular sessions.
She admitted that the committee members are already
pressured in the conduct of public hearings and studies but “this is what we
like the legislative body to be. We need to make it fast because of our present
situation.”
She also mentioned the visit of the officials’ from Kapatagan,
Lanao del Sur headed by Mayor Jun Maglangit with Vice Mayor Raida B.Maglangit and
their municipal councilors for observation of the city’s legislative sessions.
Guiani-Sayadi said they shared with the visitors the
“best practices” of the city’s governance, saying: “We quoted those what we are
doing best, what are the procedures, what things should be ready, and how we
execute them.”
In her concluding statement, the vice mayor said: “President
Duterte is very sincere. No doubt for him. He is one person who loves the
country. He is one person that make Filipinos happy. He is one person committed
to make this country away from drugs and with a clean government. Along the way,
there’s struggle after all and it is our duty to help him because he cannot do
it alone.”
She
is also one in adhering to human rights, mentioning the reported extra judicial
killings in the crackdown against illegal drugs which should be looked into. “The
most important thing is you're not guilty and you have to keep on working.” (Anne B. Acosta)
