5 Cebu board members quit chairmanships

CEBU CITY — The simmering discord within the Lakas party in the province reached a high point the other day following the resignation of five provincial board members allied with former fourth district Rep. Ceferino Martinez Jr. from their committee chairmanships.

Those who gave up their chairmanships were provincial board floor leader Raul Bacaltos, from the complaint and investigation committee; Andres Corominas, cooperatives and accreditation; Joven Mondigo, education; Jose Maria Gastardo, ways and means; and Michael Miranda, commerce and trade. All are affiliated with the Martinez faction of Lakas.

The resignations were ignited by an already combustible mood within the Lakas party in Cebu.

Earlier, the provincial board stripped Orvi Ortega of his chairmanship of the committee on budget and appropriations.

Adjournment

Just when the session was about to be concluded, Bacaltos moved to have the regular session adjourned.

Board member Victor Maambong objected to the adjournment, arguing that the body should have been asked if there were "other matters" that had to be discussed.

Bacaltos replied that internal house rules require that only matters listed in the calendar of business shall be discussed and proposed resolutions and ordinances should be made in writing and submitted to the office of the board secretary.

Vice Gov. John Henry Gregory Osmeña then moved to have the motion of Bacaltos voted upon.

Seven board members voted to have the meeting adjourned, including Bacaltos, Ortega, Corominas, Mondigo, Gastardo, Roberto Librando Sr. and Miranda, all affiliated with Lakas.

Eight voted to oppose the adjournment and to take up other matters. They were Julian Daan, Antonio Almirante Jr., Estrella Yapha, Rosemarie Durano and Josefina Patricia Asirit and Maambong, all of Alayon party, and Manuel Masangkay and Mahanee Lei Sermon, both of Lakas.

Resignation

Seeing that they had lost by one vote, Bacaltos immediately declared that he was resigning from his committee and from his post as floor leader. Corominas followed suit, and then the other Lakas-affiliated board members holding committee chairmanships.

In a privilege speech, Ortega accused Gov. Pablo Garcia of having "masterminded" his ouster from his committee through "various forms of pressures and maneuverings unimaginable for a person holding a high elective position and nurturing a respectable reputation."

"Why my beloved governor? What mortal sin have I committed against thee that I should merit all these whippings from you?" Ortega asked.

Later, Ortega seemed less vindictive when he said that besides the governor, there may have been others involved in his ouster.

"You have been blinded by the mesmerizing insinuations and deceptions," he told Garcia.

Meanwhile, Vice Gov. Osmeña denied accusations that the governor was behind Ortega’s ouster. He plans to appoint Masangkay to head the committee on budget and appropriations, and leave the chairmanship of the other committees vacant for two weeks in hopes that conciliation may iron out the tiff. — Freeman News Service