THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025, has deferred action on the consultancy appointment of former Board Member John Ismael “Jiembo” Borgonia.
The PB wants Borgonia to attend its next session on Aug. 19 to explain the importance of his proposed role as Gov. Pamela Baricuatro’s consultant on political and social matters.
“I respect the condition imposed by my former colleagues that I need to be present at the next session when they take up the resolution about my consultancy,” Borgonia told reporters on Tuesday, Aug. 12.
The resolution, authored by PB Member Raymond Calderon, seeks to grant Baricuatro the authority to sign a six-month consultancy contract with 10 individuals. The contract would be effective from July 1 to December 31, 2025.
During the session, the appointments of the nine other consultants were approved by the PB.
“I choose to remain silent for now about their comments and will speak only if necessary. I choose peace at the moment,” Borgonia said.
Earlier, tension between Borgonia and some board members arose during a regular session on May 26 after the midterm elections, when PB members called him out for remarks which, they said, cast a negative light on the institution.
Borgonia, an outgoing board member at the time, said a special session on May 21 to consider a proposed P1.2 billion supplemental budget (SB) 1 was conducted in “clear evident bad faith.”
He claimed the session aimed to hamper the incoming administration of then governor-elect Baricuatro. Borgonia skipped the May 21 meeting, which was canceled due to a lack of quorum.
During the May 26 session, PB Member Celestino “Tining” Martinez III condemned Borgonia’s comments as reckless, malicious and premature. He said the remarks sowed discord and undermined public trust in the PB.
Then PB Member and vice governor-elect Glenn Soco also called Borgonia’s remarks irresponsible and reckless. He moved to strike them from the record.
PB Member Victoria “Tata” Corominas-Toribio said the comments tarnished her integrity after 15 years of service.
Borgonia defended his position, saying the SB 1 was not listed on the regular session agenda. He said his resolution to defer the budget proposal to ensure an orderly transition of power had become moot.
The PB then voted to defeat his resolution.
The SB 1 remains pending after it was returned to the Office of the Governor for further assessment. Soco has since said its fate now rests with the executive department. / ANV
