Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Guv rejects awards committee chairmanship
A PROPOSED legislative measure naming Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan as head of committee for awards earned the rejection of the governor.
In his veto note, Fongwan told members of the Provincial Board (PB) that he is not in favor of the provisions of the ordinance, which made him the chairman and the vice governor as vice chairman of the awards committee for the province's annual foundation celebration.
The ordinance created the awards committee to identify the awardees who will be recognized during the yearly provincial foundation celebration held every November.
"The governor and the vice governor should not be assigned as chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of a working committee, not even as members because elective officials have many other important functions," Fongwan's veto letter stated.
He said members of a working committee should be composed of employees from the Provincial Government.
He added that placing the governor and vice governor as chairman and vice chairman puts the two into a very awkward situation because under the proposed ordinance, the chairman will submit a list of the nominees for his own approval and for the confirmation of the PB headed by the vice governor who is also the committee's vice chairman.
Fongwan said the PB surpassed the power of the executive department when it created under the ordinance a working committee, which will implement provisions of the legislative measure.
"The creation of a working committee to implement the provision of an ordinance is normally addressed and assigned to the executive department. Hence, this ordinance apparently encroached on the power of the chief executive to issue an administrative order creating a working committee," the letter said. (JC)
