MISAMIS Oriental Vice Governor Joey Pelaez was stripped of two committee chairmanships on Monday December 17, through a reorganization of committees in the Provincial Board.
Provincial board member President Elipe on Thursdasy, December 20, said the so-called majority proposed for the change of composition of committees and denied that they stripped Vice Governor Joey Pelaez of his committee chairmanship.
Elipe said it started when he requested for committees on his preference after he replaced the late board member Mario Emano.
"Dili pwede automatic nga ang iyang committee maoy ako kay he was elected as chairman sa mga committees. I was not, so I was asking the body nga maka-ask ko sa preferred nako gani minor akong gipili ang agriculture and social services," Elipe said.
But since these committees were already chaired by other board members, some suggested to hold an executive meeting so it can be discussed and iron out.
Pelaez said the changes of committees was clearly directed to strip him with important committees which he considered an act of "early politicking.”
"I offered in one of our session to discuss committee compositions in an executive session but they did not meet with me. Had they met with me and told me that they wanted to take away the committees I held, I would've willingly yielded it to them without any reaction," Pelaez said.
Pelaez said he declined to accept any committees because it was done without any consultation.
"The act of doing it behind my back and assigning committees to me without courtesy and consultation is an insult to the presiding officer and vice governor of the province," Pelaez added.
But, Elipe said the planned executive meeting was not materialized for lack of quorum.
He clarified that board member Frederick Khu instead made a list of changes.
Khu was also the proponent of the resolution to change the committee composition subject for discussion in the plenary before the legislative body takes recess for the holidays last Monday.
"Ang gibuhat ni Khu naghimo siya og listahan. Siya pud ang proponent sa resolution," Elipe said.
In the proposed list, Elipe will chair the committee on ways and means and agriculture while Pelaez' four committees were cut to two.
Elipe said he and the vice governor argued during the session last Monday, after the latter did not supposedly want to include Khu's motion in the agenda.
"Naglalis mi kay si vice ilang style dili siya mosugot nga ibutang sa agenda kung dili moagi sa iya which is wrong," Elipe said.
"Wala sad ko mosugot nga iyang babagan ang inclusion kay dili mana pwede kay any member could raise a motion for an inclusion. Right na sa member," he added.
When the matter was included in the agenda, Elipe said nobody stood up to discuss and no one raised an objection.
"Pwede paman unta to ma-discuss kay it was a proposal subject for discussion but unfortunately when it was included wala namay mo-discuss. Igo raman ga-decline si vice and wala wala gani siya mo-object,"Elipe said.
He said the resolution to change the composition of the committees was unanimously approved.
Elipe said it was unfair to make it appear that the so-called majority stripped the vice governor of his committees when the latter did not even object on the proposal.
"Kanang ipagawas nga amo siyang gihukasan sa committees that's unfair because in the first place there was no resistance, the resistance came katong dili siya mosugot nga iapil sa agenda," Elipe said.
"Kung wala mo-object ngano pasakad-on man ang mga board members nga nag-propose and don't tell us nga wala moagi sa due process kung wala mo motindog na dili na namo sala," he added.