The Misamis Oriental provincial board is proposing, through a resolution, to authorize Govenor Yevgeny Emano to negotiate with government banks for possible loan agreements as the Capitol claims it is allowed to borrow as much as P2.4 billion.
But prior to referring the resolution to the committee on ways and means, some members of the legislative body including presiding officer Vice Governor Joey Pelaez engaged in a heated argument over parliamentary procedures.
Board member President Elipe said Pelaez opposes the resolution authored by Wyn Militante because the endorsement does not come from him and that the matter was untimely because the elections are approaching.
"Dili niya (Pelaez) aprobahan sa first reading kay kinahanglan siya kuno maghimo sa referral. I beg to disagree. Ikaduhang bikil dili siya mosugot kay apiki kuno sa panahon kay elections," Elipe said.
"Ang style man gud sa SP (Sangguniang Panlalawigan) kung naay sulat or request from the governor it will go first to the vice governor unya siya dayon mag-refer sa unsa nga committee ang motuki," he added.
Elipe said he has no problem with Pelaez referring matters to committees but he also emphasized that any member of the board could still raise a resolution and have it approved in the first reading.
He said it appears to him that the presiding officer wants to "kill" the resolution before it could be subjected to discussions and deliberations in the second reading.
Elipe explained that resolutions subject for approval in the first reading only include reading of the title. Discussions will only happen in the second and third reading until the body decides to approve or deny the resolution.
"It is the right of any member. I don't want the vice governor to trample the right of board Militante and he has to act on the motion," Elipe said.
"His authority to refer the matter to committees is not absolute kay anybody for that matter has the right to come up with a resolution and have it approved for the first reading dili lang kana exclusive sa vice governor lang," he added.
The resolution is now referred to the finance committee after the body divided the house and voted.
Elipe claimed that the request of the executive branch was submitted to the office of the vice governor last April 2017, but it was not acted upon.
"That is why nag follow-up si board Militante through this resolution,"he said.
Elipe reiterated that the provincial government is not borrowing P2.4 billion and he said Militante's resolution is only giving the governor the authority to negotiate with government banks for a possible loan deals since it has the capacity to borrow as much as P2.4 billion.
He said the loan agreement will still go back to the provincial board and this time projects and programs are already identified and incorporated and it is up for approval through an ordinance.
"Dili P2.4 billion ang utangon. What the local finance is saying is ang atong capacity is P2.4 billion but it doesn't mean atong utangon is P2.4 billion we are just establishing the line," Elipe said.