CEBU, Philippines – For Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, "jealousy" might have triggered Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr. objection to the move of the Provincial Board commending her for taking part in the Governors Summit Against Climate Change in the United States.
The resolution to commend Garcia was sponsored by Board Member Thadeo Ouano.
"We all know where we coming from. He has his own reason. Probably he was jealous because he was not also commended," Garcia told reporters yesterday.
Sanchez has been invited speaker to some international forums, but has reportedly not received any commendation from the Provincial Board.
"Basin naay gusto pud mu-commend niya, depende man ni. Sa ako, ang ni-commend ang Board, pwede man sad mu-commend niya ang iyang soul mate si Saavedra (referring to self-styled whistleblower Crisologo Saavedra) or pwede pud mu-commend niya ang ubang so-called environmentalist," Garcia said.
Sanchez had opposed the move to commend Garcia, saying no less than the Visayas Climate Action Now Network (Visayas-CAN) has criticized the governor for allegedly promoting environmentally-destructive projects like the coal plant and coal ash dumping facility.
Board Member Thadeo Ouano, who authored the resolution, said the board merely wants to recognize Garcia's participation as the lone governor in the Philippines who was invited to summit in California.
But Sanchez argued Garcia has been promoting inorganic fertilizer in Cebu, which is a contributor to climate change problems.
"I hope Mr. Sanchez realizes how inappropriate it is for him to keep on promoting his own fertilizer that the province purchases," Garcia said, adding, that the vice governor might just be confused of being a public servant and a businessman.
Sanchez reportedly keeps attacking the organic program of the Provincial Agriculture Office that has refused to buy his liquid fertilizer.
Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Necias Vicoy, Jr. showed reporters the Special Assay Results of Analysis conducted by Department of Agriculture Regional Soils Laboratory that showed that Sanchez's fertilizer only contains 1.85 percent of nutrients, which is reportedly below the 2.64 percent nutrient content of chicken manure.
The Province is giving chicken manure to farmers for free.
Of the six organic fertilizers analyzed, Sanchez's product costs highest at P650 per bag per 50 kilograms. The other products cost P80, P50, P400 and P300.
"The many years that he has spent in public service and with the assumption that he would have envied into his system, the protocol and etiquette of public service, you could not believe that this is really the vice-governor try to sell his own product," Garcia said.
Sanchez owns a fertilizer firm promoting organic fertilizers.
Despite Sanchez' opposition, the Provincial Board still approved Ouano's resolution unanimously. (FREEMAN)