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Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Group to boycott board sessions
By Alfred Navarro
A "MUTINOUS" group in the Provincial Board (PB) of Pangasinan is reportedly planning to boycott the next sessions of the body.
The boycott plan was revealed by a reliable source who said the move was meant to "get even" with Vice Gov. Oscar Lambino after he failed to preside over at least four successive regular sessions of the provincial legislature.
"We will do this (boycott) as a wake-up call and as a reminder that we don't go for a surrogate leadership in the house," a member of the group said.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, declined to identify the other members of the group.
The source expressed the sentiment of his colleagues that the repeated absences of the vice governor has "virtually orphaned" the Provincial Board.
Since the non-appearance of Lambino, PB Member Manuel Ancheta has been presiding over the sessions, a move that appeared to have slighted other senior members of the board.
The vice governor had not only skipped the sessions, he also reportedly shunned caucuses normally held in the past.
In a text message, Lambino admitted he skipped the last four sessions of the Provincial Board but denied having "slept on the job."
The vice governor added that he was preoccupied following-up matters vital in the implementation of various projects intended to benefit the provincial constituents.
Lambino, who is executive director of the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Padac), said he has his hands full with the sourcing of funds needed to speed up the completion of the regional drug rehabilitation center in Burgos town.
"We've got already the commitment of the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency). The budget for the rehab center is now included in their 2004 budget," Lambino said.
He said Sen. Robert Barbers has also been assisting Padac in generating some P14 million from the Philippine Amusement and Games Corp. (Pagcor) and the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) to realize the project.
(September 21, 2003 issue)
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