Vice mayor: Rallyists are ‘barking up the wrong tree’

TACLOBAN City Vice Mayor Arvin Antoni reacted to the rally conducted by several barangay officials at the ground of the City Council last Wednesday, saying “they are barking up the wrong tree.”

The rally, which was participated by about 200 barangay officials and said to be supporters of Mayor Alfred Romualdez, started around 3 p.m. while the City Council session was on progress.

The barangay officials who joined the rally held placards with messages questioning Antoni and the rest of the minority group for opposing the plan of Mayor Romualdez to secure a loan.

Romualdez planned to secure P620 million to finance all the projects he wanted to implement in the city.

Antoni, in an interview, said it is very uncommon that members of the minority group are the ones facing a crowd of protesters.

“This just only happens in Tacloban under Mayor Alfred administration,” he said. He acknowleged, however, that the barangay officials were exercising their right to express their sentiments.

He said rather than letting the officials hold a rally at City Council ground, Romualdez could have properly explained to the barangay officials the reason why the loan was hindered.

“The mayor should have told his barangay officials that the minority group is not the one who hinders the obtaining of loan, but the stipulations under section 324 of Republic Act 7160 of the Local Government Code of 1991, which was being considered by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) in allowing any local government unit to take a loan,” Antoni said.

“In fact, when the SP (City Council) passed a resolution authorizing and ratifying the loan agreement in the amount of P622 million, the minority group, including Councilors Neil Glova and Jerry Uy, walked out and the presiding officer relinquished his post. Then, why this gathering was directed to us, knowing the fact that we cannot prevent them (the majority bloc composed of eight City Council members) on taking the loan,” he added.

The official said the declaration made by the BLGF is the legal reason why the loan was not being granted to the administration.

“Why should we also take the loan now, when it is just seven months before the conduct of the May 2013 election?” Antoni asked. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)