FORMER Cagayan de Oro City councilor President Elipe will sit as new member of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Board, replacing the late board member Mario Emano.
President Rodrigo Duterte approved Elipe's appointment on October 5 despite the Sandiganbayan's order convicting Elipe of graft and falsification of document charges last July.
Elipe was sworn into office by Sta. Cruz, Tagoloan, village chief JB Casino on Friday, October 12. The ceremony was witnessed by Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go.
Elipe said the anti-graft court's decision was not yet final and executory as he exhausted all legal remedies to appeal his case.
"Makabalda ang kaso pero padayon man ang kaso kay dili pa man final and executory ang decision (The case can hinder but it’s on going because the decision isn’t final and executory yet),"Elipe said.
Elipe, who manages the Misamis Oriental Integrated Sports Complex (MOISC), was appointed by the leaders of the Padayon Pilipino to replace Emano who passed away in November 2017 due to heart ailment.
He said he has to quit his post at the MOISC but he would be willing to oversee its operations.
"Dili na ako sa MOISC kay medyo bikil na man kay murag double compensation mana unless himoon ko nga overseer nga walay bayad depende nana sa gobernador (I wouldn’t be in MOISC anymore because it would look like as double compensation unless I will be designated as overseer without pay, it depends to the governor),"he said.
The erstwhile councilor said it is another responsibility to continue the program of the late board member with few months left before a new set of board members will be elected in May 2019.
Elipe said he is still unsure if he will bid for a seat at the Provincial Board in the upcoming polls though there have been suggestions from the party.
"Tan-awon lang nato kung mokandidato ko sa election kay una wala tay resources ug depende pud sa daganan ni Nadya (Let’s see if I will run in the election because first I have no resources and it will depend on what position Nadya will run for),"he said.
Elipe said he would ask Governor Yevgeny Emano that he would continue the sports program for the Kuyamis Festival.
He also said he would help the Provincial Board as it currently deliberates the budget for 2019.
"Wala pako kabalo unsay committee nako pero akong ipadayon ang programa sa panglawas ni Mario Emano and as a CPA [Certified Public Accountant] pwede ko makatabang karon sa budget deliberation (I don’t know yet what committee I am in but I would like to continue the program on health by Mario Emano, and as a CPA, I am willing to help in the budget deliberation)," he said.