Pablo John defends Guv; assails Ballescas' Action

Capitol consultant Pablo John Garcia yesterday defended the action of her sister, Governor Gwen Garcia, during the Provincial Development Council meeting Thursday when she engaged Professor Cherry Ballescas to a tension-filled debate.

Pablo John, in a news conference yesterday, also lashed out at the action of Ballescas during the meeting where her insistence for detailed reports of provincial projects somehow irked the governor.

Ballescas is chairperson of Partnership for Progressive Cebu, a conglomeration of at least 20 non-government organizations and people's organizations in the province that has a seat in the development council.

During that council meeting, Ballescas wanted the provincial engineering office to give a detailed accomplishment report of a P300-million road asphalting project last year, saying she would like to know how that money was spent.

Ballescas said such report would be the basis of the civil society whether to endorse another P300-million project, under the 2007 Annual Investment Plan, that the council had deliberated that day.

The proposed 2007 AIP had earmarked another P300 million for more road asphalting projects in line with the governor's program to pave 400 kilometers of provincial road within her three-year term.

Governor Garcia tried to explain to Ballescas about demand for details and bureaucracy that somehow "shackles" the progress of projects but the latter seemed unsatisfied saying all she wanted were "transparency and accountability."

This irritated the governor who in turn blasted at Ballescas for sounding cynical and suspicious on how Capitol spent the money on projects.

Pablo John yesterday said "the holier-than-thou attitude of Professor Ballescas was utterly hypocritical." He then told reporters that it was a "belligerent behavior" out of her wish for "control of funds" for NGOs and civil society groups that the governor rejected last year.

"The reason why she acted that way...was not out of some principle. It was because she wanted control of funds..." Pablo John said, citing three proposals that the governor had rejected before.

Governor Garcia added that she did not resent what transpired during here argument with Ballescas but said the latter came to that council meeting "with a story behind."

Pablo John outlined these "stories": First was that Ballescas last year allegedly asked the governor for authority and power to screen project proposals from the private sector, and recommend only those "she deemed in accordance with her agenda;"

Second, Ballescas submitted PPC proposals for P3.9 million fund for integrated agriculture and economic development, mobilization of fisherfolk organizations, and capability-building to institutionalize the PDC-PPC;

Finally, Ballescas allegedly requested to hold office at the Capitol with the provincial government paying the PPC personnel.

Pablo John said the governor had turned down all these three proposals of Ballescas, the reason why the latter acted the way she did during the meeting.

The Freeman contacted Ballescas last night and she declined to comment on the allegations of Pablo John as well as the descriptions of her actions during the PDC meeting.

Ballescas said she has her comments on the matter right in her column that would appear in today's issue of The Freeman, under the opinion section.

Governor Garcia, for her part, yesterday said she would rather do the best and "not waste time with niceties", hypocrisy and political posturings. She said the people have waited for long and suffered too much.

"Tingale if I were hiding something then probably I would try to look nice and sound nice," and hope that questions would stop, she said. - Cristina C. Birondo/RAE