ILIGAN City ― The unexpected suspension of Attorney Franklin M. Quijano has left former city mayor Lawrence Ll. Cruz, ex-city councilors Jose Zalsos, and Roy Openiano, along with many local residents, disheartened.
During their weekend radio program ‘Iligan, Gahapon, Karon Ug Ugma,’ the trio expressed hope that Quijano, also a former city mayor, could overcome the current political turmoil.
They suggested that his suspension might be linked to the ongoing power struggle between the political families of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Quijano was suspended for 90 days from his role as Commissioner for Senior Citizens due to “neglect of duty and grave misconduct,” effective July 7, as per a Malacañang directive.
Former mayor Cruz pointed out that this date coincided with the replacement of Engr. Simeon Clerigo by Edgar Navales as head of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, following Clerigo’s resignation.
Cruz likened Quijano’s situation to that of Maria Belen Acosta, the former head of the Mindanao Development Authority, who was replaced by Marcos appointee Leo Tereso Magno on May 24. Both Acosta and Quijano were appointed by Duterte.
Zalsos and Openiano concurred with Cruz’s suspicions, noting that Quijano had sought a “transformative dialogue” with Malacañang on June 7, but his request went unanswered, leading to his suspension instead.
