Time to reorganize the PB
WITH the shifting alliance of second district Provincial Board (PB) Members Willy Caminero and Peter John Calderon from One Cebu Party to the Liberal Party (LP), and the impending entry of Juan Antonio Magpale to take over the post vacated by his mother, now Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, I think the LP is now the majority at the Cebu PB. We have 15 members, including three ex-officio members, two of whom may ally with the LP because of family affiliation. They are Ivy Carmen Durano Meca, who represents the Municipal Councilors’ League, and Alladin Wilyamie Caminero, son of PB Member Caminero, who represents the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation.
The other ex-officio member is Joeyboy Holganza, who represents the Federation of the Association of Barangay Councils ((ABC). Joeyboy is a known Garcia ally.
With these numbers, I think it’s time to reorganize the PB so it will no longer be controlled and influenced by Gov. Gwen Garcia.
Who are with the LPs? Arleigh Sitoy and Teddy Ouano of the sixth district. Calderon and Caminero of the second district. Jude Thaddeus Sybico of the fifth district and the incoming young Magpale. Of course, Meca and Caminero will side with them if there are matters that need a party stand. And Vice Governor Magpale will always break the tie.
So there are eight of them in a 15-member PB. Now, who has the guts to start the ball rolling? Who will initiate the move to call for the reorganization? I think Sitoy
should initiate it by resigning as minority floor leader and claiming that he should be acknowledged as the new majority floor leader in view of this development. What do you think, Bokal Sitoy? Antog na diha, nyor. Inyo na ning panahon.
A simple majority is enough to stop or junk any resolution or ordinance from Governor Garcia’s camp if they find it questionable like budgetary resolutions. However, that number is not enough to override the veto power of the governor, especially if we talk about next year’s budget or any appropriation for that matter. But for the purposes of transparency and public accountability, they can always do their share. I hope they will stick to their role as fiscalizers and not as obstructionists. But it’s time to draw the line. Some of the PB members have been freed from the bondage of tyranny. So don’t hold your punches. Pahit namo mga halandong bokal. Ayaw na mog kaikog.
I hope the new opposition in the PB
will look into the “left and right” expenses of the governor, especially her public relations campaign and her doleouts to different local government units whose chief executives are allied with her. Who paid for the advertisement promoting Cebu that is being aired in various television and radio stations all over the country? Where did the governor charge the budget for these? What about the tarpaulins with her smiling face displayed in some key cities and provinces all over the country?
Was the filling up of the controversial Balili property aboveboard? Who paid for the catering services if there are functions at the Capitol? I was informed that Capitol has failed to pay a caterer P4 million because it failed to document some events it hosted. Unya kanang ilang gipakaon sa mga tawo sa mga lungsod nga ilang adtuan? Kumbira ug buraska kunong mga tawo sa pagkaon. Morag eat all you can.
The new opposition should also be vigilant when it comes to next year’s proposed budget to be submitted soon by the executive department. They should scrutinize every item because some may be bloated. Next year is an election year and I’m afraid the Garcia administration will use taxpayers’ money to advance their political interest like what the governor is doing now. Is it possible that the PB will only pass a budget that is good for six months and let the new governor and the new composition of the PB pass a supplemental budget for the rest of the year? This way, they can prevent any manipulation by the outgoing governor to use the 2013 budget for politicking. Sugyot lang ning ako.