Monday, March 26, 2007 Persona non grata By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
* Negros mayors demand Pangandaman's immediate resignation
* Resolution approved by 29 out of 32 mayors in the Province through phone calls
THE Association of Chief Executives (ACE)-Negros Occidental Chapter on Sunday passed a resolution declaring Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman as persona non grata and demanded for his immediate resignation.
This was in connection with the March 22 installation of 57 Task Force Mapalad (TFM) farmers in Hacienda Velez-Malaga in La Castellana where Pangandaman was criticized for not consulting both Mayor Enrico Elumba and Governor Joseph Marañon.
The resolution was unanimously approved on Sunday by 29 out of 32 mayors in the Province through phone calls, Elumba said.
The three mayors who cannot be reached as of press time are Janet Torres of Bago City, Evelio Valencia of Toboso and Jose Eugenio Lacson of San Carlos City.
The rest who agreed to sign the final copy of the resolution Monday were Mayors Samuel Fabros (Calatrava), Santiago Barcelona (Escalante City), Salvador Escalante , Jr. (Cadiz City), Leo Rafael Cueva(Sagay City), Emmanuel Escalante III (Manapla), Severo Palanca (Victorias City), Alfonso Gamboa (EB Magalona), Carlo Gamban (Silay City), Eric Saratan (Talisay City) and Evelio Leonardia (Bacolod).
Esteban "Sonny" Coscolluela (Murcia), Ricardo Presbitero (Valladolid), Cynthia de la Cruz (Don Salvador Benedicto), Jilson Tubillara (San Enrique), Jeffrey Ferrer (La Carlota City), Jose Garcia (Moises Padilla), Renato Malabor (Isabela), Carmenia Bascon (Himamaylan City), Caroll Guanco (Hinigaran), Pedro Zayco (Kabankalan), Emmanuel Aranda (Binalbagan), Liberty Manzano (Candoni), Paul Alvarez (Ilog), Jerry Tabujara (Cauayan), Oscar Montilla Jr. (Sipalay City) and Mary Jean Cubid (Hinoba-an).
Elumba said the approved resolution is also in support to Governor Marañon's move of writing a letter to President Arroyo to officially inform the latter of Pangandaman's action in Malaga.
Mayor Barcelona confirmed to Sun.Star Bacolod that Negros Occidental ACE approved resolution will be sent today to the Office of the President in Malacañang.
"We voted for yes to the resolution because we believed that what Pangandaman did in Malaga was improper," Barcelona added.
Barcelona said the resolution contains the lamentations of all the mayors in the Province on Pangandaman's display of disrespect to both Governor Marañon and Mayor Elumba.
