Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Busy with polls, PB holds quick 12-minute session
WITH the ongoing campaign for the May elections, fiery deliberations at the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) are getting scarce.
The PB failed to hold a session last April 2 for lack of quorum. While it barely met the required number of members yesterday, the session lasted only 12 minutes. Aside from yesterday, the last time the PB held a regular session was on March 26 because April 9 was a holiday.
PB sessions are supposed to start at 2 p.m. but yesterday, it started at 2:25 p.m. to allow Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez and PB Members Ramon Martin Calderon, Teresita Celis, Agnes Magpale, Raul Bacaltos, Antonio Almirante and Juan Bolo to wait for their colleagues so they can have a quorum.
Minutes later, PB Members Estrella Yapha and Victoria Corominas, both from the third district, showed up so the board was able to act on matters pending because of the failed session last April 2.
Aside from referrals made to committees on matters from the towns, there was no discussion on the floor because resolutions were mostly allocations from their legislative assistance funds and a few resolutions of support and commendation.
The number of items in the agenda has also gone smaller as most members no longer submit proposed resolutions.
PB Member Jose Ma. Gastardo arrived and took his assigned seat yesterday just as Floor Leader Raul Bacaltos moved for adjournment.
Except for the three ex-officio members of the board (the presidents of the Association of Barangay Councils, the Philippine Councilors’ League and Sangguniang Kabataan) and Almirante who is on his last term, all PB members are either seeking reelection or running for other elective posts.
PB Member Joven Mondigo is running for mayor of Medellin. Member Estrella Yapha is seeking the third district congressional seat and Member Gabriel Luis Quisumbing is challenging Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz’s reelection bid in the sixth district. (JPM)
