With many absent, PB fails to finalize house rules again

CEBU, Philippines — The incoming Provincial Board failed to come up with its house rules yet again merely a few days before assuming office on June 30 after only six of 17 Board Members showed up in a meeting supposedly to finalize its Internal Rules of Procedures (IRP).

It was the third time last Tuesday that majority of the Board Members did not show up in the meeting called by incoming vice governor Hilario Davide III.

Present in the meeting last Tuesday were Board Members Raul Bacaltos, Jose Mari Salvador, Miguel Magpale, Jerome Librando, Victoria Corominas-Toribio, and Jerico Rubio, the provincial federation president of the Sangguniang Kabataan.

“Some of the new members confirmed that they will be attending… last minute in the morning, I received messages that they could not make it,” said PB Secretary Pulchra Marie Acevedo.

Those who said they could not attend were Board Members Jimbo Borgonia, Glenn Soco, Christopher Baricuatro, Raul Bacaltos, Kerrie Shimura, and Red Duterte.

Both Borgonia and Soco were out of town while Baricuatro had to attend to family matters.

Those who did not confirm attendance were Yolanda Daan, Edsel Galeos, Horacio Franco III, Thadeo Jovito Ouano, and Jerome Librando

Acevedo said in the absence of the IRP, the Board will take guidance from the Local Government Code in carrying out their functions.

“It will not affect the discharge of their legislative duties and functions because in the absence of the Internal Rules of Procedure (IRP), it’s going to be the Local Government Code that will supply,” she said.

She said the Board can still adopt its house rules within 90 days after its inaugural session on July 1.

“We will just wait maybe during the inaugural session because under the Local Government Code, it’s provided that during the start of the inaugural session or within 90 days after, it’s the time that they adopt or update their internal rules,” Acevedo said.

She said many are just used to the previous practice that the house rules are finalized before the inaugural session. During the session itself, the Board will only have to approve and adopt the rules.   The Board also has to “redefine” standing committees and committee memberships. — Bonen A. Clarin (FREEMAN)