By Bonita L. Ermac Iligan City – Councilor Queenie Belmonte will decline the opportunity to sit as acting vice mayor of this city after a one-month suspension ordered by the Ombudsman was implemented by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz and 12 other councilors. "It is very unfortunate to hear about the suspension of my colleagues in the august body,” Belmonte said. “I have no desire for the position of the Vice Mayor." The DILG implemented a joint decision of the Ombdusman dated September 4, 2017, suspending Vera Cruz and councilors Samuel P. Huertas, Eric M. Capitan, Jesse Ray N. Balanay, Demosthenes R. Plando, Belinda C. Lim, Sorelie Christine R. Bacsarpa, Ian C. Uy, Randy Ryan Francis Ong, Bernard Y. Pacaña, Petronilo G. Pardillo, Renato L. Ancis and Datu Diamla Rolabdo Soong for “simple misconduct.” They were suspended without pay for one month and one day effective January 4. Aside from Belmonte, the only other councilor who was not suspended was Cesarve Siacor. The suspension stems from administrative cases filed by former congressman Vicente Belmonte and former vice mayor Ruderic Marzo against Vera Cruz and the 12 councilors for recognizing Celso Regencia as mayor despite his detention, and authorizing him to transact and appoint officials. Belmonte and Marzo argued that Regencia was legally incapacitated to do so. Councilor Belmonte said she had already warned her colleagues during the second regular session last year that “we have to be careful with our actions because, as councilors, we are bound by the rule of law.” She added that this was the reason why she voted against granting Regencia authority that should be given to a legally incapacitated person. She likewise said she still has to receive an advisory from the DILG on the law of succession that will prevail in the Sangguniang Panglungsod. The lady councilor also took exception to a statement made by Regencia, blaming the opposition for the suspension, which she described as a “mistake they, themselves, made.” "Why blame the opposition when it was them who violated the law- dili man si Varf (Belmonte) ug Rudy Marzo ang nag authorized nga legally incapacitated (it's not Varf and Marzo who authorized one as legally incapacitated), she said.