The Bicol Chapter of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP) and the Philippine Councilors’ League, together with the DILG R5, kicked off a refresher course entitled “Strengthening the Local Sanggunian as a Quasi-Judicial Body” this month.

The initiative aims to reorient and increase the awareness of Sanggunian Members and their attached offices with the procedural and substantive exercise of their quasi-judicial powers accorded by the Local Government Code. The event participants include Vice-Mayors, Sangguniang Panlungsod/ Bayan members, ex-officio members, the Local Chief Executive or representative, Sangguniang Panlungsod/Bayan Secretaries and Staff, and other Administrative Committee Members from the component cities and municipalities of Camarines Sur in Region V, Bicol, Philippines.

In order to maximize knowledge acquisition, the activities are going to be clustered per province. The pilot run started on May 2 at the Proxy Hotel, Legazpi, for participants from Camarines Sur’s 4th and 5th districts.

DILG R5 Regional Director (RD) Atty. Arnaldo E. Escober Jr., CESO V, was present during the launch and gave a keynote message. He underscored the importance of the event to help participants better understand their obligation to act with integrity, especially in observing due process of law and handling administrative cases involving locally elected officials.

Similarly, Assistant Regional Director (ARD) Jhoaden G. Lucero, EnP, MM, CESO V, graced the opening day of the activity for the participants belonging to the 1st to 3rd district of Camarines Sur on May 3. In the same vein as RD Escober’s message, ARD Lucero reiterated how the Sanggunian should play a vital role in promoting good governance, transparency, and accountability at the local level. She hoped that the learnings they acquired would help them significantly in their discharge of functions.