Lack of quorum foils vice governor's privilege speech

CEBU, Philippines - In defense of an institution!

This would have been the title of the privilege speech of Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez, Jr. yesterday had the Cebu Provincial Board had a quorum to hold their regular session.

Sanchez had to adjourn the session, setting aside his preparation for his privilege speech, because of lack of quorum.

Only eight members of the board were present including Sanchez, short of the required number to constitute a quorum to be able to legally transact business.

The PB members present were Agnes Magpale, Jose Maria Gastardo, Wenceslao Gakit, Peter John Calderon, Wilfredo Caminero, Victor Maambong and Joven Mondigo Jr. were present.

PB Member Alfred Francis Ouano arrived only after the session was adjourned.

Members of the media however noticed that the absence of quorum in yesterday’s provincial board session was somehow planned, because at least three of the absent board members were seen at the session hall before the session was called to order.

PB members Rosemarie Durano, Julian Daan and Bea Mercede Calderon, who are all allied with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, were seen at the session hall before the session started.

They were also among the board members who met with Garcia over lunch yesterday.

The Freeman learned that of the 15 board members, only PB member Victoria Corominas was not around during the meeting called by Garcia.

The vice governor believed that the lack of quorum yesterday was something deliberate. He however said that he will try to deliver his privilege speech next week.

But had he delivered it, Sanchez said, he would have talked about “democracy and tyranny” at the Capitol.

Among the issues he would have discussed, aside from the alleged harassment that he and his office had suffered, are the imposition of the P5 terminal fee at the South Bus Terminal, parking fee at the Capitol compound and giving of financial assistance to other provinces without prior authority from the board.

In a brief talk with Sanchez, he told The Freeman that Garcia’s burdening the poor commuters from the province by making them pay the P5 terminal fee is an example of her being a tyrant.

Aside from this, Sanchez also mentioned the Capitol’s giving of P20 million in financial assistance to typhoon Ondoy victims despite the fact that only P10 million was authorized by the board.

He explained that when Garcia turned over the P20 million check to then Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro at the Capitol, she did not have the authority yet from the board.

It was only later in the afternoon that majority of the members of the board belatedly pass the resolution to cover the illegal act of the governor.

Sanchez said these are only some of the issues that he will be discussing when he finally gets the chance to deliver his privilege speech.

The members of the majority at the PB, however, denied that there was any deliberate attempt to stop Sanchez from delivering his privilege speech.

 The falling apart of Sanchez from Garcia started when the governor accommodated his political opponents in the town of Tuburan.

This led him to jump to the Liberal Party that has former Cebu City Councilor Hilario ‘Jun-jun’ Davide III as standard bearer.

Sanchez cried foul over the failure of the executive department to renew the services of his nine consultants and withholding his Legislative Assistance Fund amounting to P23 million. — Fred P. Languido with Jose P. Sollano/NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)