LP in PB saves ally brgy. chief

LINES were drawn in yesterday’s Cebu Provincial Board (PB) session, which discussed the suspension of a Daanbantayan barangay captain.

The barangay captain allegedly seized gemelina trees cut by a resident and fined him P30.

The matter resulted in a voting, where the Liberal Party members had their way and reduced the barangay captain’s suspension.

Earlier, the Daanbantayan Municipal Council found Bakhawan Barangay Captain Bernardito Luche guilty of four administrative offenses, namely, grave abuse of authority, oppression, serious misconduct and gross dishonesty.

They gave him a six-month suspension for every administrative offense, or a total of two years. Luche is now on his third month of suspension.

The municipal council’s decision was on appeal at the Office of the PB.

Yesterday, the PB’s committee on complaints and investigation presented two reports.

The first was a “minority opinion” initiated by committee chair Joven Mondigo, who concurred with the town council’s decision.

“We have to give way to the factual findings of SB Daanbantayan,” said Mondigo.

PB Member Sun Shimura said Luche knew beforehand that no permit is needed to cut gemelina trees.

The second was the “majority opinion” signed by four majority committee members: vice chair Peter John Calderon and PB Members Wilfredo Caminero, Arleigh Sitoy and Carmen Durano-Meca.

The four, all LP members, found the earlier penalty too harsh.

Calderon said they approved Luche’s three-month suspension for one offense. He said Luche is cleared of the other three administrative cases.

Initially, Sitoy moved to vote for a majority opinion. PB Member Cesar Ian Zambo pointed out the procedural flaws in the issue.

He said there was no formal committee hearing to come up with a committee-as-one decision. This resulted in two committee report, one from the majority opinion and the other from minority opinion.

He questioned the move of letting the body decide on a committee report that is a result of a procedural flaw.

Nominal voting went on and eight PB members voted in favor of presenting the majority opinion while only four voted for adopting the dissenting opinion or the minority.

Sitoy again called for a vote. Seven voted for the adoption of the committee report of the majority members and five voted against it.

Luche is perceived to be an LP supporter while most members of town council are perceived to be supporters of One Cebu Party.