CDN Photo Rosalie Abatayo
THE fate of the resolution authorizing Governor Hilario Davide III to sign the contract for the construction of the 20-storey resource center was stalled until the regular session of the Provincial Board resumes on January 21, 2019.
This is after the PB lacked one member to constitute a quorum during yesterday’s special session requested by Vice Governor Agnes Magpale after only eight board members showed up.
Among those present are board members Raul Bacaltos of the first district, Jose Mari Salvador of the second district, Jude Thaddeus Durano-Sybico and Miguel Antonio Magpale of the fifth district, Jerome Christian Librando of the seventh district and ex-officio members Celestino Martinez III, Earl Tidy Oyas and Jerico Rubio.
Board members Yolanda Daan of the first district, Edsel Galeos of the second district, Victoria Corominas-Toribio and Alex Binghay of the third district, Horacio Franco and Sun Shimura of the fourth district, Thadeo Jovito Ouano and Glenn Bercede of the sixth district and Christopher Baricuatro of the seventh district however, were a no-show yesterday.
The board on Monday voted on the passage of the resolution with 8 in favor, 6 against and three abstention. The resolution authored by Martinez and Librando sought to give Davide the authority to sign the contract with WT Construction, the winning bidder, for the construction of the resource center worth P1.3 billion
Questions then arose if the eight votes would suffice to pass the resolution based on simple majority requirement. The board decided to adjourn session on Monday pending the opinion of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG-7) on the matter.
Magpale said she was disappointed that for the first time since she sat as presiding officer, the board will be going on break with an unfinished business.
“Of course ma-politicize man gud ang issue dinhi. I have my suspicions pero di man ta ka-confirm,” Magpale said.
But Shimura, who voted against the passage of the resolution, said there was no politics involved in his absence in the session.
He said that he went home to his hometown in Daanbantayan since Tuesday and was not able to make it because of time constraint.
Franco, an ally of the administration, was also not present because he had to fly to Manila for an urgent matter.
DILG-7 Regional Director Leocardio Trovela, in a phone interview, told CDN that the 8 votes for the passage of the resolution was not enough to constitute the simple majority.
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