Cebu Provincial Board (PB) are expected to convene for their regular session on Monday afternoon to discuss important matters that have remained pending with the cancellation of their two earlier sessions. | CDND File Photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Before they take their Holy Week break, Cebu Provincial Board Members will convene for their regular session on Monday afternoon, April 15, to discuss priority measures.
Matters for discussion include a proposal by the Provincial Commission on Women and Children (PCWC) to shell out a P50,000 cash assistance to the family of Thesa Marie Ygay, the 14-year-old girl whose body was found dumped in a septic tank in Cogon Cruz Integrated School on April 8.
But fourth district PB Member Sun Shimura, head of the Committee on Accreditation, said they will cease from hearing applications for accreditation filed by civil society organizations (CSOs). Discussions for CSO applications will have to wait until their next regular session on April 22.
CSOs seeking accreditation are required to attend PB sessions to answer questions on their creation and the purpose of their existence.
“They were advised by my staff (that the scheduled hearing for CSO accreditation has been set on April 22). They were there during the first time nga walay quorum because they were advised kay I was present but dili man gud nato ma-control pud kay maybe the other board members had important matters to attend to in their districts” Shimura told CDN Digital.
Two of the PB’s earlier sessions scheduled on April 1 and 8 were ordered cancelled due to lack of quorum. Barely half of the 17 PB members came while others were on official business leave.
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With their lack in quorum, PB members failed to hear the application for accreditation filed by a farmers group from Balamban town and a senior citizens organization from Mandaue City.
However, Lawyer Pulchra Marie Acevedo, Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) secretary, said that PB’s failure to convene for two consecutive Monday’s was justified because those who failed to show up were able to send formal communication to her office on their absence in compliance with guidelines set by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Sanctions, she said, are only applicable to those with successive and unjustified absences. /dcb