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Monday, February 06, 2006
Mongaya: Fertilizer mess
By Anol Mongaya
THE fertilizer mess issue pushed by the opposition to pin down President Arroyo has placed three Cebu congressmen—Reps. Antonio Yapha, Tony Cuenco and Sim Kintanar—on the spot. The three are said to be conduits in justifying the release of millions that was used for GMA’s 2004 electoral bid.
Unfortunately for the opposition, it seems there were indeed fertilizers released under this controversial program several months after the elections. The issue, in my view, won’t hurt President Arroyo.
However, it has pinned down Rep. Yapha to a Perdido Lex-like vise of an issue called “Kasosyo Foundation Inc.” Let’s see how he could wiggle out of this one.
The camp of Rep. Sim Kintanar, nevertheless, is unfazed because they can prove the release of the fertilizer long after the elections. The congressman had asked the Department of Agriculture (DA) to release solid fertilizer instead of the liquid variety. Still undistributed stocks could be inventoried at the DA bodega in Argao. A close confidante of the congressman said they could account for the fertilizer and nothing was used for GMA’s reelection bid.
A curious twist involved Rep. Cuenco. It seems DA officials have lumped Cuenco with Kasosyo of Yapha—a mistake in my book.
Even before the congressman issued a public statement, I immediately doubted the DA contention simply because Cuenco belongs to Yapha’s rival camp. It seems the DA would like us to believe that Cuenco dealt with a foundation set up by somebody close to former senator John Osmeña. We all know that the former senator had supported candidates to end the Cuenco dominance of Cebu City’s south district.
This led me to think that maybe DA officials were embellishing things up to cover their tracks in the mess. Still, let’s wait for further developments in this front.
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Could a mere airport manager amend a law passed by Congress? It seems two documents show Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) General Manager Adelberto Yap did this last year.
Apparently in his presentation to the Civil Service Commission to plead for his appointment as general manager despite the lack of eligibility, Yap, or his representatives, misrepresented Republic Act (RA) 6958 and succeeded in convincing Commissioner J. Waldemar V. Valmores to approve his temporary appointment as general manager.
In Commissioner Valmores’ letter to DOTC Chief Leandro R. Mendoza, he wrote that under RA 6958, the airport board has the power “to appoint the general manager of the Authority upon nomination by the President of the Philippines.”
The commission approved Yap’s appointment because President Arroyo supposedly nominated him. However, if we take a look at RA 6958, the phrase “upon nomination by the President of the Philippines” is not there.
Who amended this law to benefit Yap? Perhaps Congress should look into this anomaly instead of engaging in endless destabilization moves against the President.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (February 6, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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