Top civil society groups stage ‘coup’ vs. Panlilio

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    CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – A voice crying out in the wilderness.

    This now seems to be the predicament of former priest Gov. Eddie

    Panlilio as his top supporters in the gubernatorial polls last year have apparently found solace in the fold of his critics at the capitol in addressing their concerns.

    At least 17 of Panlilio’s prominent supporters from "civil society" in this province, including his former campaign manager and spokesman Abe Laquindanum and former finance manager Tess Guanzon met Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao and members of the provincial board the other day in resolving major problems haunting the provincial government.

    Earlier, the governor’s chief of staff Archie Reyes resigned for undisclosed reasons.

    "These are former supporters of Among Ed (Panlilio) who are no longer happy," Rene Romero, chairman of the Advocacy for the Development of Central Luzon (ADCL) introduced to the provincial board the local leaders, including himself, who played a large role in the victory of Panlilio in the gubernatorial race.

    Panlilio and his controversial provincial administrator Vivian Dabu were in Lubao during the meeting held amid protest songs that blared from loudspeakers at the capitol grounds where dismissed workers under Panlilio’s lahar quarry operations called "Balas" held pickets last week to seek the ouster of Dabu.

    Laquindanum acted the other day as spokesperson of Panlilio’s former supporters who had composed the Kapampangan Coalition, Inc. (KCI) initially to support the former priest.

    Panlilio won as independent candidate in last year’s gubernatorial race against former provincial board member Lilia Pineda, wife of suspected gambling lord Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda.

    Also in the meeting was former Bulacan Rep. Willie Villarama who had represented Buhay partylist in supporting Panlilio in the local polls.

    Speaking in behalf of the others, Lanquindanum sought the help of the provincial board in passing a resolution declaring the Arnedo Park in front of the capitol as "freedom park" where rallies could be held without any government permit.

    Villarama said this would help dismissed lahar quarry workers who have been threatened with dispersal after they initiated protest actions seeking the ouster of Dabu.

    "Gov. Panlilio and the chief of police in Pampanga should be given copies of the resolution once it is finished so the protesters can use the Arnedo park," he said.

    Guiao noted that only a resolution of the provincial board, even without the approval of Panlilio, would be needed for this move.

    He said, however, that the board would be ready to override Panlilio’s veto should there be a need to pass an ordinance instead.

    The provincial board and Laquindanum’s group virtually formed an alliance as the latter agreed to come out with a wage scheme for lahar quarry workers to be made effective for the rest of this year and another proposal for the automation of lahar quarry operations.

    During the meeting, Guiao reported to the civil society leaders that contrary to Panlilio’s allegations, the provincial board has approved substantial funds the governor had requested since last year.

    He said that the P1.1 billion budget sought by Panlilio had been approved, and that only the remaining P100 million has been the subject of recent controversies.

    "We can not just approve the release of funds without justification. This we owe to our constituents," Guiao said.

    He noted that the board had also approved P22.3 million of the P45 million sought by Panlilio for quarry operations.

    "We were not against approving the entire amount, except that no one from the governor’s office could justify the need for such budget amid the decrease in the income from quarry operations," he said.

    Guiao showed documents indicating that while the provincial government raised P24.4 million in just 22 days last year, income from quarry as of last July this year amounted to only P13.4 million.

    He also noted that the P45 million Panlilio wanted as "too much".

    He recalled that when the government-owned Natural Resources Development Corp. (NRDC) ran quarry operations in this province during the Estrada administration, the agency raised P150 million in revenues with only P6 million of funds for its operations.

    "So how could we approve the rest of the supplemental budget the governor wants for Balas?" he asked.

    Board member Cris Garbo noted that Dabu had been firing and hiring workers under Balas without the approval of the board, contrary to a provincial ordinance.

    Guiao earlier announced that the board would file charges against Panlilio for technical malversation after the latter allegedly admitted in a meeting he had transferred funds under the office of the governor for Balas operations.

    "That is illegal since Balas is under the provincial treasurer and not under the office of the governor," Garbo noted.

    Guiao noted that Panlilio’s office has been spending local funds "as proposed, not as approved".

    "This is yet another affront to the provincial board," he said.

    Guiao also noted that the board had granted Panlilio’s request for a P9.5 million budget for his office alone and that with four more months to go this year, the entire amount has almost been exhausted.

    "Now he is asking for a supplemental budget of P13 million which is 120 percent more than the actual budget allocated for his office this entire year," Guiao noted.

    Laquindanum, in behalf of his group, vowed to pursue "possible areas of cooperation between the civil society sector and the sangguniang panlalawigan in the matter of good governance".

    "We respect your mandate from the people of Pampanga. We recognize the significant role you play in making good governance more than a campaign pitch," he said in his message he read before Guiao and the members of the provincial board.

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