Missing towel controversy: PB kills attempt to invite resort executive

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu Provincial Board has rejected a resolution filed by Board Member Arleigh Jay Sitoy seeking to invite one of the executives of Alegre Beach Resort during the next session to shed light on the "missing towel" controversy.

Sitoy would have wanted Jessica Angeles, sales account executive, to appear before the board on Monday to "straighten out the facts" involving the missing towels during the executive-legislative planning two weeks ago.

Sitoy believes that the issue, which has already triggered an investigation by the provincial committee on discipline and investigation, will have a closure if a resort official will appear to explain the incident.

"I want to put things into an end by inviting the person concerned in order to shed light to what really happened on the missing towel," Sitoy said.

He added that the incident reportedly happened not only in the room assigned to him but also to other rooms.

However, Sitoy's resolution was killed in an instant with eight of his colleagues, PB Members Agnes Magpale, Wilfredo Caminero, Sun Shimura, Peter John Calderon, Ribomapil Holganza Jr., Ivy Meca, Sergio Restauro, and Jude Thaddeus Sybico, voting against it.

PB Member Joven Mondigo, Jr., who seconded Sitoy's resolution, abstained during the voting together with PB Member Alex Binghay.  

Magpale, chairman of the Committee on Tourism, who first reported the missing towels, said there is no need to invite resort official as she did not pinpoint anyone.

"I never mentioned names, neither I mentioned rooms. I didn't know what rooms lost the towels," she said.

Sitoy said he appreciated the decency Magpale has but insisted on the presence of the concerned personnel of the resort in their next session to clear things out and put emphasis that he did not have the love for towels or even affection towards it.

Caminero on the other hand said that if Sitoy asked for it just for media consumption, he can attest that he was not in the resort when the incident happened.

"Just for simple towel, we are bringing the high end personnel to appear and if for media consumption, we can testify that you refused to join the dinner and did not go back to join us that night," Caminero said.

Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr. decided to submit the resolution to a vote wherein majority of the members present voted against it. (THE FREEMAN)