Friday, October 05, 2007 Editorial: A house divided
THE yo-yoing trend of events in the Provincial Capitol bodes ill for any hope that things will get better before they get worse between Governor Ed Panlilio on one hand and Vice Governor Joseller "Yeng" Guiao and the Provincial Board (PB) on the other.
No sooner than the PB has approved Ordinance 176, which radically changes the rules of the game on quarry fee collection, that the governor vetoed it in a tit-for-tat speed and style.
The next steps are predictable: the PB will override the veto and the governor will, in all probability, go to court to annihilate it. How long will the legal battle go on, it's anybody's guess. And the ensuing ramifications in how the Provincial Government will fare in the performance of its duties to the public are as varied as they are uncertain.
What is clear is that the Provincial Capitol house is truly divided. The next questions are: Can it stand, and for how long?
Ordinance 176 has become a big wedge issue because it renders the governor almost powerless in the matter of control over quarry tax collection and even monitoring. One salient feature, which is obviously the crux of the governor's opposition, is that the ordinance has done away with the P150 administrative fee solely collected by the Provincial Government from the P300 tax per truck of quarry sand.
In effect, what the ordinance really creates is a situation where the governor can only expect a 30 per cent share from the gross revenues collected from quarry taxes and a multi-tiered process of monitoring, control and enforcement of quarry tax imposition and collection.
While the new system looks more democratic and fair, the bottom line is that the governor has less to say about it. Obviously, being painted in the corner is the last thing in the governor's mind.
What the public wants probably at this point, given the stubbornness and determination of both sides, is for a quick resolution of this logjam, at least in the case of the new ordinance, so the governor and the PB can take care of other more important business.
The continuing legal battle will only consumer a great deal of all the protagonists' time and attention, not to mention goodwill that, were things not as lamentable as they are now, could have kicked up positive actions and results several notches higher at the Provincial Capitol.
Now we can only expect every one concerned to be gearing up for the bigger and drawn-out legal skirmishes in the days ahead that could spawn more divisiveness and animosities among the elected leaders of the province.
Columnist Robby Tantingco, who wonders what has happened to Pampanga, has more reasons coming to be alarmed.
