Rural Urban News

NEWS: Referendum in Nabunturan sought; Bond float oppositors take people’s initiative route

By Cha Monforte

Oppositors to the P90-million bond flotation in the Nabunturan, Compostela Valley have immediately shifted to their Plan B, that is to launch a people’s initiative leading to a referendum to decide whether to proceed or not with the controversial bond float following Wednesday’s confirmation of the provincial board on the municipal resolution approving it.

“It’s not over yet,” said Antonio Mencidor, spokesman of the oppositors to the P90-million bond flotation being pushed by Mayor Macario Humol.

Mencidor bared that they have just prepared a petition for people’s initiative projecting an eventual confirmation of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

He bared that oppositors are starting to gather signatures of at least 100 registered voters as required under the provisions on local initiative of the local government code.

He said that they wanted the people of Nabunturan to decide in a referendum whether or not they want the bond float to proceed.

In last Wednesday’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan session attended by 11 boardmembers, 6 “yes” votes over the 4 “no” votes were cast on nominal voting, thus confirming Municipal Resolution No. 10-2008 which approved the feasibility study for the 10-year bond flotation that would fund for the construction of a new public market building in town.

In a gallery largely filled by an anti-bond flotation crowd, acting presiding officer Boardmember Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay had to admonish for several times the lobbying oppositors who cheered for the opposing Boardmember Dexter Lopoz, a lawyer, who locked horns with the proponent Boardmember Ruwel Peter Gonzaga, also a lawyer, in a two-hour debate and interpellation during the privilege hour that sliced up the supposed calendared agenda of the session.

Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya was not presiding as he was on official business in Manila.

Voting “yes” were Boardmembers Gonzaga, Cesar Richa, Moran Takasan, Rogelio Arambala, all of the District 2, PCL Representative Joselien Romano and Paul Galicia, both of District 1.

Voting “no” were Boardmembers Lopoz, Neri Barte, Armando Codilla, all of District 1, and Boardmember Ruben Flores of District 2.

Flores, a former Nabunturan mayor, and allied with the original Lakas majority, made a surprise when he voted in negative. He was later on congratulated by the anti-flotation crowd in the gallery.

“Nabunturan voters will be marking off the District 2 boardmembers who voted yes to the detriment of the people,” one of the lobbying market vendors was quoted as saying after the SP confirmed the resolution. Referred to were Gonzaga, Richa, Takasan and Arambala.

The oppositors have been charging that the bond flotation is so expensive with exorbitant charges and fees that are “grossly disadvantageous to the government”.

Also, market vendors have been apprehensive they could be displaced in the planned new market building where high monthly rentals are pegged in the feasibility study as a minimum of 10 square-meter stall could readily fetch a P10,500 monthly rental. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

They could not party yet

Blogista

By Cha Monforte

Nabunturan Mayor Macario Humol et al could not yet do their partying after Wednesday’s confirmation of the provincial board of the resolution approving the controversial P90-million bond flotation that would fund for the construction of a new public market building many believe would only become a White Elephant, a waste of people’s money.

On narrow nominal vote of 6-4 in favor to the bond float, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan presided by Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay (as Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya is on official business in Manila) and egged out by narrow arguments of proponent Boardmember Ruwel Gonzaga, made only a temporary setback to the cause of the bond flotation oppositors. It’s really far from over yet.

At this writing, the oppositors are reportedly gathering signatures of at least only 100 registered voters needed to comply for the petition through the people’s initiative provision of the Local Government Code, so that if the Comelec rules favorably, the P90-million bond flotation could be decided by the Nabunturan people themselves in a referendum.

After a two-hour raging debate and interpellation during the privilege hour where lawyer Boardmembers Dexter Lopoz (Montevista-District 1) and Gonzaga (Mawab- District 2), locked their horns in a gallery filled by the antis, a surprise came when a member of the original Lakas majority, former Nabunturan mayor and now second-termer Boardmember Dr. Ruben Flores cast a negative vote on the measure joining the Three Mosquiteers- BMs Lopoz, Neri Barte (Compostela-District 1), and Armando Codilla (Monkayo-District 1)- the known LBC hari ng padala of Ramil.

But Flores vote did not make a dent in reversing the “yes” votes of the other District 1 Boardmembers Cesar Richa (Maco), Rogelio Arambala (Laak) and Moran Takasan (Pantukan), whom the oppositors have now marked off- politically, of course.

Forgive BM Paul Galicia (Compostela) as he is a pastor, and forget BM Joselien Romano (Compostela ) as she was not elected at large being only a PCL federation representative.

At the rate the oppositors immediately shake this setback off, it’s really far from over.

Well, the mayor , Vice Mayor Romeo Clarin and their 8 pro-bond float councilors may have the first laugh now. But remember, he who laughs last laughs best. Meantime, we’ll wait what will happen next. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com)

Brillantes twits P90-M Nabunturan bond float; It’s already 3-4 big projects for him

By Cha Monforte

Monkayo Mayor Manuel Brillantes Jr. has made sort of verbal sniping to the controversial P90-million bond flotation in Nabunturan when he recently remarked that the amount of which could already make up to three to four big infrastructure projects in his own municipality in today’s prices.

“Not only one but three to four,” he said to a question posed by the press.

He added though he was only estimating, taking into account the current high inflationary rates, and should not be misconstrued as intervening in the internal affairs of Nabunturan.

The question was posed as Brillantes made ostensible accomplishments in his own town after he has served for one three-year term and one year in his current second term as mayor in his town.

During this four-year period, Brillantes had completed through bank borrowings four sparklingly modern, high impact projects that include the P16-million new municipal hall, P16-million new municipal gym, P11-million new market building and P11-million solid waste management system.

In sum , he accomplished four big projects at a total of P54 million only, compared to the P90 million for only one public market building.

Observers said that even the old-time pioneers in the Monkayo have been surprised to see that their town’s poblacion has experienced great facelift under the leadership of Brillantes, who came only in Monkayo in the 80s from outside to join the gold rush in Diwalwal.

The Brillanteses are known to have big mining operations in Diwalwal. They started from the scratch of small scale mining during the heyday of the gold rush.

The mayor said that he always thinks and ponders in his study table at home on what to do to develop Monkayo.

He said that when he decides it’s always well thought and deeply reflected especially the on repercussions of the project to his people.

Asked on what made him make Monkayo as it is now, “because I am not a trapo (traditional politician),” he shot back.

Comval SP to take up controversial P90-M Nabunturan bond float

(7/7/08) The Compostela Valley provincial board will take up on plenary this coming Wednesday the controversial P90-million bond flotation of the municipality of the Nabunturan which oppositors charged earlier as grossly disadvantageous to the government.

The scheduled taking up of the municipal bond float is expecting a clash of legal luminaries among members of the provincial board and nominal voting to occur among members, sources told Sidlak.

Last week, the joint committee on finance and legal matters chaired by Boardmember Ruwel Peter Gonzaga favorably acted on the municipal resolution approving the feasibility study for the P90-million bond float which seeks to fund for the construction of a new market building that would replace for the public stalls and buildings which were gutted by a fire three years ago.

Oppositors charged that the bond flotation pushed by Mayor Macario Humol and Vice Romeo Mayor and his majority of councilors is exorbitant and too expensive and its terms are grossly disadvantageous to the government as earlier nixed even in a comparative study made by the town’s local finance committee.

Gonzaga, a lawyer and former vice governor, reportedly disempowered his committee citing arguments that the legal review powers of .the provincial board is limited and that it could not question the wisdom of the bond flotation of the proponent municipality.

But opposing Boardmember Atty. Arvin Dexter Lopoz countered that Gonzaga’s argument was flimsy as it would mean that should a municipal law is found to be glaringly contrary to law it would also go to say that the provincial board could not act on it otherwise for lack of legal review powers.

Critics of the Nabunturan bond flotation had also earlier charged that it was disadvantageous to the government for its expensive and exorbitant fees and other charges which included the P6.5 million for the architectural and engineering design alone which they dubbed as “sa papel pa lang” and other hidden fees, high interest rates, and other charges and expenditures that are much greater than or unnecessary if the municipal government resorts to mere bank borrowing.

Small stall renters and vendors in the town’s market have earlier expressed fear they would be dislocated from the project as the new public market to be constructed would have higher monthly rentals and advances which they said they could hardly afford.

In the feasibility study, a meter 10-square meter stall would have over P9,000 monthly rental.

Local oppositors have already mapped various legal actions including administrative case, recall and appeal for review by Department of Justice.

They charged that a project that is grossly disadvantageous to the government is violative in itself to Republic Act No. 3019, otherwise known as Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Blogista

By Cha Monforte

Float bond, make Banana Republic

The resolution approving the P90-million feasibility study for the bond flotation in Nabunturan is now at the hands of the provincial board of Compostela Valley. Last week after two separate deliberations the matter was referred to the joint committee on finance and legal matters.

But critics of the bond flotation have now expressed that the committee referral might yet be overtaken by the one month period for the provincial board to act given that especially the legal committee chaired by Boardmember Ruwel Peter Gonzaga- the former vice governor who slid in the last election running to his lower position now- is too saddled with legal matters that need lengthy time to probe and resolve. That is according to our sources.

Hence, there is a likelihood that by the committee delay itself would have the resolution deemed confirmed and approved, and legally Mayor Macario Humol et al and the cabal of conspiring consultants, brokers, guarantors and underwriters would then start the ball rolling. This is a speculation, but this important matter that affects the future of Nabunturan people needs to be speculated.

By simply dividing straight the P90 million by the period of bond flotation, which would run for 7 to 10 years, or three terms for the next mayor, at the minimum Nabunturan town be burdened of paying P12.8 million yearly. Whew, that’s about half a million budget assistance for each of the town’s 28 barangays, or 28 two-classroom buildings at a cost of P400,000 for each, or thousands of books, chairs, tables for the needy day care pupils in villages, or a thousand of kilometers for barangay road maintenance, thousands of monetary assistance for pauper’s burials, medicines for barangay health centers, subsidies for barangay health workers and nutrition scholars and school board-paid teachers, or for other basic services especially for the barangays.

In this bond flotation, the town’s Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) will be losing for at least P12-P15 million yearly which will go for the assured repayment of the statutory and contractual obligations attendant to the bond float. This is supposed to be spent to address for these badly needed services for the barangays. The yearly amount of repayment at the minimum is about 22 percent of the town’s IRA which stood last year at P54.7 million. It even appears that it breaches the 20-percent cap allowable to LGU borrowing.

That’s without yet considering the staggering interest payments of the bond float as computed by the town’s Local Finance Committee at P9.9 million each for the first and second repayment years alone. All told, the bond float is bound to strain whatever budget allocation vulnerable to fiscal and discretionary power of the chief executive, while usually the 80-percent of the IRA is already pegged for personnel services (salaries and wages), maintenance and other operating expenses and other basic expenditures.

By the cage and straightjacket put over this rather discretionary development and intervention funds for the barangays, the bond float will be turning the next mayor in town inutile to the clamor for basic needs and interventions of barangay officials and people. The next mayor wants to help, but he just could not do it as he would be burdened by the obligations of first paying for the bond flotation capital and interest costs, including the additional and hidden recurrent charges and fees (tong-pats for the conspiring ahentes, consultants, brokers, guarantors and underwriters), plus the unnecessary .preparatory, pre-construction expenditures like the exorbitant P6.7 million for architectural and engineering design (or sa drawing lang) alone. These, all in the name of a White Elephant project.

It seems that from the White Elephant the bond float of Humol et al seek to fund is making the capital town of Nabunturan a Banana Republic, that is, when inutile mayor comes one after another or is fast replaced every other election during the 7-10 year repayment period of the bond float. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com)