CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — Saying they wanted to protect the integrity of the city council as an institution, the city councilors, along with barangay captains, expressed their disapproval of Mayor Malou Morillo's pronouncement by staging a sudden walkout during the mayor's second State of the City Address (SOCA) on July 24 here.

The city council, headed by presiding officer Vice Mayor Rommel Ignacio, readily issued a statement, explaining its decision to walk out in the middle of the mayor's SOCA.

"We regret that the walk out had to happen, but it was necessary to protect the SP (Sangguniang Panlalawigan) as an institution and to tell the Mayor as well as everybody else that, no, it is not OK to disrespect people. No, it is not OK to keep blaming others for your shortcomings," the statement said.

It marked the first time in the history of the local politics in the city that city councilors staged a walkout in an utter show of their dismay over what they described as the mayor's resort to 'blaming the city council for her shortcomings.'"

The council said that the councilors were invited by the mayor's office on her SOCA and out of respect, and like other concerned people of Calapan who want to know the true state of affairs of the city two years after taking the helm of the city government, they attended the traditional event.

Apparently, what the councilors and the invited barangay captains heard during the SOCA did not sit well on them.

"We had hoped that in the interest of transparency and accountability, she would provide a clear, concise and easily understood report on the progress of her promises, program implementations as well as the utilization of the P1.157 billion 2023 budget and P1.237 billion 2024 budget. It was our prayer that the SOCA would be a venue for our City Mayor to inspire all of us, regardless of political color, to work together for the good of Calapan City," the statement said.

In her address, Morillo mentioned that the adjustments made by the city council on the proposed budget submitted by the executive caused the non-implementation of programs and projects that would benefit the people.

"Because of incompatibility of the priorities of the City Council and the executive, the proposed budget that we submitted before the council for approval was revised and adjusted that caused for the delay of the programs and projects intended for public welfare," Morillo said in the concluding part of her address.

The city council said that the adjustment they made had already been explained at their press conference in April and the videos presented by the mayor was also part of the press conference of the executive department called by then-acting city administrator Daniel Acedillo sometime in March this year.

"We already answered those claims and, in fact, the 2024 budget is already being used. These should not be reiterated and should not have been included in the SOCA," the city council reiterated.

"We say this again, the issue raised by Mayor Morillo that she blames on the SP only amounts to P52.44 million only, or a mere 4 percent of the total P1.237 billion total budget," it added.

"As leaders, the buck stops with us. As the leadership saying goes, 'Stop blaming others for your problems. Instead, take ownership and find solutions.' Let us respect one another as human beings and as fellow elected officials," it further said.

In a message on Friday, Ignacio said that they felt that they were disrespected by the mayor.

"Pakiramdam ko, binastos niya (Morillo) kaming lahat. Kaya kahit 'yung ibang mga kapitan ay sumama nung lumabas kami sa convention center (I felt the mayor disrespected all of us, reason why the barangay captains also joined us when we got out of the convention center)," said Ignacio.