Group hits Gwen's "anger" over NGO official's scrutiny

The Freedom from Debt Coalition-Cebu has criticized Governor Gwen Garcia's reported anger when an official of a non-government organization scrutinized the Capitol's past and present projects during the Provincial Development Council meeting last week.

The action of Garcia meant that the basic concerns of NGOs over the controversy surrounding the approval of the province's Annual Investment Plan, which was discussed during the meeting, remained unanswered, the group said.

Lito Vasquez, FDC-Cebu secretary general, said: "I understand that it's a publicity nightmare for any public official caught on camera blowing her top on accountability and transparency issues."

This meant that the damage control most often attacks the integrity of the other party involved rather than answering point blank what caused the outburst of the official from whom transparency is being asked he said.

Vasquez explained that members of the provincial development council, particularly the NGOs and people's organizations "whose presence in local special bodies was institutionalized by the Local Government Code" have the right and responsibility to scrutinize the allocations of the AIP.

"When the AIP is presented for approval, good governance dictates careful scrutiny prior to approval and not after," Vasquez argued.

In that PDC meeting at the Capitol social hall, Professor Cherry Ballescas insisted for details of the road asphalting projects, which Garcia had earlier said have been her priorities in the AIP.

Ballescas is a college professor of the University of the Philippines-Cebu and chairwoman of the Partnership for Progressive Cebu, which is a member of the PDC that deliberated on the proposed AIP for 2007.

Garcia, instead of answering Ballescas' question, reportedly "blew her top" that resulted in a heated argument between her and the NGO leader that lasted about 20 minutes.

The scrutiny of Ballescas showed that the participation of NGOs and people's organizations in local governance is not only limited to what is nominal or ceremonial, such as attending meetings, Vasquez said.

"Local governments should also recognize that NGO-PO participation in local governance is not an intrusion on their traditional authority nor will it "shackle" the progress of projects," he added.

Vasquez was saddened that no one among the members of the civil society, present in the meeting, supported Ballescas.

Vasquez said members of NGOs and people's organizations should rise to the occasion and put up a collective stand because if these groups remain silent, they might be branded as rubber stamps of local governance instead.

"Otherwise, the 30-second silence that followed the heated exchange ominously describes what could be the civil society posture in maintaining its partnership with local government -in silence," he said. - Wenna A. Berondo/RAE