Ambrosio R. Villorente
Provincial Ordinance No. 07 – 012
Clips VP Functions
Vice Governor Gabrielle V. Calizo scored a strong point during the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan preparatory session on July 2, 2007. Vice Governor Calizo was so sure when she declared “Provincial Ordinance No 07 – 012 is “illegal”.
According to Calizo, that said provincial ordinance was approved without observing the 2004 – 2007 internal rules of procedure, viz-à-vis second and third readings.
The Provincial Ordinance No. 07 – 012 was introduced to the session of SP Aklan on June 20, 2007 and was instantly approved during that session.
To think that there were three highly respected lawyer members of the Aklan SP and presided by a lawyer vice governor is one for the books. This violation of the 2004 – 2007 internal rules of procedures may have two interpretations depending upon which area the interpreter stands. However, there is one thing sure, the approval of Provincial Ordinance No. 07 – 012 is in violation of the 2004 internal rules of procedure the members themselves approved and assured they will abide with it. It was also approved to clip the duties and responsibilities of a vice governor/presiding officer of the SP.
COMELEC BATAN ERRS
In the Municipality of Batan, Aklan, the Comelec Batan proclaimed the winners of the May 14 election after it finished counting the votes. It proclaimed the Mayor, Vice Mayor and eight (8) members of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB).
Candidate Medardo Placer was proclaimed as number eight winner for SB who got plurality votes of 21 to that of the number nine, Ms. Chiva Bolivar.
After the proclamation, Ms. Bolivar did her own recounting. In the course of her recounting, she discovered that she got 42 votes in one of the precincts in Barangay Mandong. However, only two (2) votes were credited to her, she lost her 40 votes from the precinct. Should the 40 votes that were not credited to her total number of votes are added to her total votes, Ms. Bolivar should have 19 more votes than that of Mr. Placer.
Ms. Bolivar, after having been sure of the Comelec mistake, immediately reported the matter to the Comelec Batan. Her report was acknowledged. Comelec Batan owned the mistake. The chair of the Municipal Board of Election Inspectors acknowledged the big error. It reported the matter to Comelec Manila with the recommendation to void the proclamation of Mr. Medardo Placer as No. 8 SB member of Batan. In his stead, Ms. Bolivar be proclaimed winner. But it stopped there.
MISTAKEN VICTORY
While Comelec Batan erred it committed big mistake to Batan electorates and to Ms. Bolivar, it did nothing to prevent the assumption of office of Mr. Medardo Placer. He took his oath as SB member. Who is the legal 8th member of Batan SB? A regular guy in his right mind may not assume any elected position by a mistaken victory.
Comelec Batan has the duty to apologize to the people of Batan for committing “honest mistake” and do all means so that Ms. Chiva Bolivar must be awarded her victory and allowed her to serve her people, majority of whom voted for her and not for Mr. Placer to be their number eight SB member.
WHAT ARE THE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS DOING?
In the preparatory session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Aklan (2007 – 2010) on Monday, July 2, 2007, Hon. Rodson Mayor asked, “what are the ex-officio members doing in Aklan SP?” The membership of the SK Federation and ABC representatives as ex-officio members was questioned.
As I analyzed the situation, Hon. Mayor has profounded a valid question. SP Aklan as in any other provinces has a fixed term viz-à-vis 2007 – 2010. Is it necessary these ex-officio members must take their oath of office for the term 2007 – 2010? The term for which they represented their respective organizations ended at 12 noon on June 30, 2007. The new set of SP members with the presiding officer, the vice governor were elected or re-elected and were sworn to office.
Likewise, these representatives to SP as ex-officio members should have ended their representation in the SP. If they wished to represent their respective organizations again, they may secure a new mandate from their organizations. Having gotten the approved designation, they maybe sworn as ex-officio members of the SP for the term 2007 - 2010.
Civil Society to Committees
likewise, the SP members and the provincial governor may also review the representatives of civil society and NGO’s in LGU committees to really enhance people empowerment, transparency, and prevent the commission of graft. Membership in such committees as School Board, Bids and Awards Committee and other committees deserve a review.
In school board for example, real estate taxpayers must be properly represented. There is a real need to review the representatives of civil society organizations, civic clubs and NGO’s to determine if they were functioning according to the purposes of representation like people empowerment and transparency of government transactions.
Information reaching EF reveals that representatives to the LGU committees belong to the most favored organizations to ease project approval. /MP
According to Calizo, that said provincial ordinance was approved without observing the 2004 – 2007 internal rules of procedure, viz-à-vis second and third readings.
The Provincial Ordinance No. 07 – 012 was introduced to the session of SP Aklan on June 20, 2007 and was instantly approved during that session.
To think that there were three highly respected lawyer members of the Aklan SP and presided by a lawyer vice governor is one for the books. This violation of the 2004 – 2007 internal rules of procedures may have two interpretations depending upon which area the interpreter stands. However, there is one thing sure, the approval of Provincial Ordinance No. 07 – 012 is in violation of the 2004 internal rules of procedure the members themselves approved and assured they will abide with it. It was also approved to clip the duties and responsibilities of a vice governor/presiding officer of the SP.
COMELEC BATAN ERRS
In the Municipality of Batan, Aklan, the Comelec Batan proclaimed the winners of the May 14 election after it finished counting the votes. It proclaimed the Mayor, Vice Mayor and eight (8) members of the Sangguniang Bayan (SB).
Candidate Medardo Placer was proclaimed as number eight winner for SB who got plurality votes of 21 to that of the number nine, Ms. Chiva Bolivar.
After the proclamation, Ms. Bolivar did her own recounting. In the course of her recounting, she discovered that she got 42 votes in one of the precincts in Barangay Mandong. However, only two (2) votes were credited to her, she lost her 40 votes from the precinct. Should the 40 votes that were not credited to her total number of votes are added to her total votes, Ms. Bolivar should have 19 more votes than that of Mr. Placer.
Ms. Bolivar, after having been sure of the Comelec mistake, immediately reported the matter to the Comelec Batan. Her report was acknowledged. Comelec Batan owned the mistake. The chair of the Municipal Board of Election Inspectors acknowledged the big error. It reported the matter to Comelec Manila with the recommendation to void the proclamation of Mr. Medardo Placer as No. 8 SB member of Batan. In his stead, Ms. Bolivar be proclaimed winner. But it stopped there.
MISTAKEN VICTORY
While Comelec Batan erred it committed big mistake to Batan electorates and to Ms. Bolivar, it did nothing to prevent the assumption of office of Mr. Medardo Placer. He took his oath as SB member. Who is the legal 8th member of Batan SB? A regular guy in his right mind may not assume any elected position by a mistaken victory.
Comelec Batan has the duty to apologize to the people of Batan for committing “honest mistake” and do all means so that Ms. Chiva Bolivar must be awarded her victory and allowed her to serve her people, majority of whom voted for her and not for Mr. Placer to be their number eight SB member.
WHAT ARE THE EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS DOING?
In the preparatory session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Aklan (2007 – 2010) on Monday, July 2, 2007, Hon. Rodson Mayor asked, “what are the ex-officio members doing in Aklan SP?” The membership of the SK Federation and ABC representatives as ex-officio members was questioned.
As I analyzed the situation, Hon. Mayor has profounded a valid question. SP Aklan as in any other provinces has a fixed term viz-à-vis 2007 – 2010. Is it necessary these ex-officio members must take their oath of office for the term 2007 – 2010? The term for which they represented their respective organizations ended at 12 noon on June 30, 2007. The new set of SP members with the presiding officer, the vice governor were elected or re-elected and were sworn to office.
Likewise, these representatives to SP as ex-officio members should have ended their representation in the SP. If they wished to represent their respective organizations again, they may secure a new mandate from their organizations. Having gotten the approved designation, they maybe sworn as ex-officio members of the SP for the term 2007 - 2010.
Civil Society to Committees
likewise, the SP members and the provincial governor may also review the representatives of civil society and NGO’s in LGU committees to really enhance people empowerment, transparency, and prevent the commission of graft. Membership in such committees as School Board, Bids and Awards Committee and other committees deserve a review.
In school board for example, real estate taxpayers must be properly represented. There is a real need to review the representatives of civil society organizations, civic clubs and NGO’s to determine if they were functioning according to the purposes of representation like people empowerment and transparency of government transactions.
Information reaching EF reveals that representatives to the LGU committees belong to the most favored organizations to ease project approval. /MP
No comments:
Post a Comment