Pasay mayor: 'Business as usual' in city hall

It's business as usual at Pasay City, at least as far as embattled Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad is concerned. Trinidad also said that he hopes that the legal issues on the city's leadership crisis would be resolved by the middle of the week. "Business as usual. This will be an ordinary day for us," Trinidad said in an interview on dzBB radio shortly before presiding over the Monday morning flag ceremony at city hall. He said he continues to meet with his lawyers to discuss "legal options available to us" with the suspension order issued Friday by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Trinidad claimed, will have to go through several "procedures" before serving the suspension order. "I expect the order to come either Tuesday or Wednesday. In the meantime, I cannot leave my post because there are basic services to take care of," he said in an interview on dzRH radio. The ombudsman ordered the six-month suspension of Trinidad, Vice Mayor Antonio Calixto and 10 councilors for approving P464.6-million in garbage collection contracts without public biddings. Trinidad claimed that the suspension order was politically motivated, noting that the four remaining councilors who were not suspended were aligned with the administration. He also tagged Rep. Connie Dy, an ardent supporter of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, as among the masterminds of their suspension. Dy, however, denied allegations that she is plotting to takeover the Pasay City mayoralty seat at Trinidad's expense in 2007. The mayor said he is staying put at city hall mainly because of his "duty" to discharge basic services. He said the suspension order is a "threat" to basic services. "You can see the threat [of this suspension order] to basic services," he said. Trinidad's camp said the suspension, which is good for six months, would have extended to March, the height of the campaign period for the 2007 polls. "I received authority from the city council to extend the contract at the time. What's wrong with that? It's not easy to dispense basic services," Trinidad said of the charges on which the suspension order was based. Meanwhile, Trinidad's supporters continued their vigil in city hall, even as the mayor and his fellow officials ordered suspended said they will not leave it. Trinidad's supporters held a concert in front of the city hall since Sunday night. The activities forced traffic authorities to close the portion of F.B. Harrison Street in front of the Pasay City Sports Complex to EDSA Extension. -GMANews.TV