Vice guv: Capitol should refund sheep buyers

VICE Governor Genaro Alvarez said the Provincial Government should refund the two Negrense businessmen who purchased the imported sheep from Capitol if the two buyers will return the sheep.

For the sake of transparency, if those who purchased the said sheep would like to return them, it's just fair that they should be refunded, he added.

Alvarez made the statement in reaction to lawyer Jose Maria Valencia's statement that the Provincial Government does not intend to refund businessmen Rafael “Nene” Abello and Lito Lacson because they have the purchase contract, which is legal and binding.

Valencia also said that the two businessmen should have to go to court if they want to rescind the contract.

But Alvarez said that if the case will reach the court, the Provincial Government may also lose the case like it did in previous cases, such as those of Dr. Vicente Ituriaga, former provincial accountant Merly Fortu and Dr. Meridel Ledesma who were all reinstated after Capitol lost in those cases.

"Capitol need not refund the cost of the sheep which died but only those which will be returned alive," Alvarez said.

Abello and Lacson cited the alleged overprice in sheep, the reason they wrote a letter last week to Dr. Renante Decena that they should be refunded for their acquired sheep.

Meanwhile, Alvarez said he could not preempt the move of the members of the Provincial Board (PB) in their regular session today, Wednesday.

This came after Board Member Manman Ko said he may present before the PB Wednesday that they will try to move to tackle other matters aside from the budget in their regular session today.

“That would depend on other members of the PB,” said Alvarez.

Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. said the legal department is ready if the PB takes up other matters in their session, as he invoked Section 323 of the Local Government Code that the Board cannot take up other matters aside from the budget because of their failure to enact it. (TDE)