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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Provincial exec claims mayor not behind charges
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
AFTER a heated discussion with some administration allies again crossing party lines, the Provincial Board (PB) of Misamis Oriental Tuesday approved the resolution creating a nine-man special committee to look into Annual Audit Report 2005 initiated during the administration of Governor Oscar Moreno.
A PB member disclosed that he too received reports that there are now more local officials thinking of filing charges against Moreno based on the Commission on Audit (COA) report.
However, Provincial Board Member Henry Clyde Abbot, who had figured in some verbal exchanges with Moreno in the past, said it is unclear whether these officials are still waiting for Mayor Vicente Emano's marching orders.
During the resumption of their regular session Tuesday, PB Minority Floor Leader Alejo Olano moved for "creating a special committee of nine members in order to find solution on the comments of the COA Report 2005 and help implement COA's recommendation."
He said he is pushing for this resolution to "help" the Provincial Government, citing the case of how it has failed to remit the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and other contributions of the Provincial Capitol workers.
"Who suffers are the employees as they are the ones paying for the penalties and surcharges," he said, adding how the COA reported that there are five important recommendations in its 2004 report that remained unimplemented.
For Olano, it is best to have nine members to be able to solicit more ideas on how to best help the Provincial Government.
Accountable
But PB member Norris Babiera objected to Olano's resolution saying that it is an "executive function" on whether to "comply or not to comply" with the COA recommendations.
"It is not good for us to create another body as if we are investigating the Province...let us not interfere and give the chief executive a chance to comply," he said.
Babiera said copies of the COA 2005 Report has long been furnished to the PB and they would be questioned as to why they acted "only now."
"This is beyond us," he said. "If there would be any action that warrants an action for the Provincial Board that would be the time."
He said there is the committee on good government headed by PB Member Francisco Bade should there be a need to look into such reports.
PB Member Pepito Gambe for his part supported Babiera's objection, citing the principle of "accountability" of the Office of the Provincial Governor.
"The governor is accountable on all transactions entered into by the Provincial Government," he said.
'Independent report'
But Olano stood up saying there is "no malice attached" to his resolution and that the COA Report 2005 was addressed to the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental.
"It does not only include the Provincial Governor but also the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (PB)," he said.
Bade, for his part, said the COA report is an "independent" report submitted not just to the Executive but also to the PB and that the PB has its "own discretion whether to act officially, ignore or throw out the COA report."
He said it is "incumbent" upon them to "officially act" on this matter for otherwise their "intentions will be interpreted in many aspects such as it being political and personal."
"The creation of this special committee does not mean malice or for personal reasons...it is motivated by our instinct to service, motivated by interest of the public and what should be good for the provincial government," he said.
Because of this, PB chairman Vice Governor Julio Uy moved that the members vote for or against the resolution.
There were seven PB members who voted in favor for the creation of this special body. They include PB members Olano, Bade, Santiago Sabal, Henry Clyde Abbott, Enerito Acain, Sr., Creseldes Cailing and Arsenio Kho Jr.
Those who opposed were PB members Babiera, Gambe, Jimmy Caiña, Ed Ayunting, and Oliver Actub.
But as there were five PB members who opposed the above creation of the "Special Committee of Nine" and refused to be part of it, the selection of who will compose this special body was deferred.
Committee of seven
Uy said the resolution will again be tackled by the PB in their next session and proponents can move for the amendment of the resolution to provide only for a "special committee of seven" instead.
In a related development, Abbott told reporters that he received reports that there are local officials who are thinking of filing charges against Moreno based on the COA report.
He nevertheless said he did not know whether these officials are "just waiting for Emano's marching orders" as intimated by former Misamis Oriental Governor Antonio Calingin.
"These barangay officials are on their own," he said. Emano is being rumored as planning to stage a comeback at the Provincial Capitol where he served as governor for several years.
Moreno, a lawyer by profession, earlier told Sun.Star that he has "no problem" with anyone filing charges against him based on the COA report.
He added that the report contains only "initial findings" and cannot be fully made as basis of any legal charges against him yet.
(July 19, 2006 issue)
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