THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED!

IN THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE POPULARLY KNOWN AS THE ROBERT'S RULE, THERE ARE ONLY FEW INSTANCES TO ADJOURN THE MEETING WITHOUT A MOTION.

SITUATIONS IN WHICH ADJOURNMENT CAN TAKE PLACE WITHOUT A MOTION ARE:

• WHEN THE HOUR ADOPTED FOR ADJOURNMENT HAS ARRIVED. THE CHAIR ANNOUNCES THE FACT, UNLESS YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE IS PRETTY QUICK TO MOVE TO SET ASIDE THE ORDERS OF THE DAY, THE MEETING MAY BE ADJOURNED BY DECLARATION.
• WHEN YOU REACH THE END OF THE AGENDA. THE CHAIR MAY JUST ASK WHETHER THERE'S ANYMORE BUSINESS, IF NO ONE ELSE SPEAK UP, THE PRESIDING OFFICER CAN DECLARE THE MEETING ADJOURNED.

I BROUGHT UP THIS ISSUE, BECAUSE THERE IS A QUESTION HANGING ON OUR HEADS, AS THE COUNCILOR'S LEGISLATIVE STAFF RESPECTIVELY; WHETHER THE DECLARATION OF THE MEETING ADJOURNED BY THE HONORABLE CHAIR VICE MAYOR JOY BELMONTE DURING THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE 20TH CITY COUNCIL OF QUEZON CITY WAS PROPER OR NOT.

AGAIN FOR THE SAKE OF CLARITY AS TO WHAT HAPPENED DURING THE 62ND REGULAR MEETING OF THE 2OTH CITY COUNCIL, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED: 

ON THE FLOOR, THE COUNCILORS ARE DELIBERATING FOR THE APPROVAL OF AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET NO.1 GENERAL FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018 IN THE AMOUNT OF FOUR BILLION, THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY THREE MILLION, EIGHT HUNDRED EIGHTY EIGHT THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED FIFTY EIGHT PESOS (4,383,888,758.00) TO FUND VARIOUS MAINTENANCE AND OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES, PROPERTY PLANT AND EQUIPMENT EXPENDITURES, AND PROCUREMENT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES SPONSORED BY COUNCILORS RAQUEL MALANGEN AND FRANZ PUMAREN.

SOME COUNCILORS MADE AN INQUIRIES AND CLARIFICATIONS REGARDING THE SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET. I SAW COUNCILORS RANULFO LUDOVICA, ALEXIS HERERRA, RAMON MEDALLA, RICARDO CORPUZ, JULIENNE ALYSON RAE MEDALLA AND SOME OTHERS IN THE EARLY DISCUSSION OF THE SAID PROPOSED ORDINANCE. AT THE MIDDLE OF THE DISCUSSION, COUNCILOR RANULFO LUDOVICA STOOD AND ASKED THE CHAIR IF THERE IS A QUORUM, THE CHAIR THEN SEEING THAT THERE IS NO QUORUM, DECLARED THE MEETING ADJOURNED.

HERE LIES THE QUESTION AND DIFFERENT OPINIONS AMONG US, THE LEGISLATIVE STAFF OF THE DIFFERENT COUNCILORS. SOME SAYS, THAT THE CHAIR MADE AN ERROR SINCE THERE IS NO MOTION CALLING FOR THE SUSPENSION OR ADJOURNMENT OF THE MEETING. 

BUT I HAVE ALSO A DIFFERENT OPINION. THE COUNCILORS KNOWN FOR A FACT THAT ONCE A QUORUM AT A MEETING HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, THE CONTINUED PRESENCE OF THE QUORUM IS PRESUMED TO EXIST UNTIL THE CHAIR OR ANY OTHER MEMBER NOTICES THAT THE QUORUM IS NO LONGER EXIST. ANY MEMBER NOTICING THE APPARENT ABSENCE OF A QUORUM CAN MAKE A POINT OF ORDER RELATING TO THE ABSENCE OF THE QUORUM.

COUNCILOR RANULFO LUDOVICA STOOD UP AND ASKS THE CHAIR IF THERE IS A QUORUM, THIS CAN BE TAKEN BY THE CHAIR AS POINT OF ORDER. IF THERE IS A CLEAR AND CONVINCING PROOF OF NO QUORUM WHEN THE BUSINESS WAS TRANSACTED, THE PRESIDING OFFICER CAN RULE THE MEETING ADJOURNED.

AGAIN, IN THE ROBERT'S RULE, ANY MEMBER CAN OBJECT OR APPEAL TO THE DECISION MADE BY THE CHAIR. BUT NO ONE OBJECTED THE DECISION MADE BY THE CHAIR.

I HOPE THIS INCIDENT WILL BE A LEARNING LESSON FOR OUR DEAR COUNCILORS. IT IS DANGEROUS TO ALLOW THE TRANSACTION OF SUBSTANTIVE BUSINESS TO CONTINUE WITHOUT A QUORUM.