P.Noy's intercession sought to end Compostela row

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu Provincial Board is now seeking President Aquino's intercession to expedite the resolution of the political standoff in Compostela because it has already affected the delivery of basic services.

PB Member Agnes Magpale said they have already sent a request to the Commission on Elections to hasten the resolution of the election protest that barred the assumption of the poll winners, but the request was allegedly fallen to deaf ears.

Magpale said the Comelec failed to appreciate that the delay in the resolution of the protest would adversely affect the delivery of basic services to the people.

Magpale believes that it is only the president's intervention that will hasten the resolution of the case.

"His Excellency, by virtue of his vast power of supervision and control over all local government units in the country, is in the best position to intercede with dispatch for the final closure of the case and end of the socio-political agony in the municipality," read Magpale's resolution that the board has approved Monday.

Compostela belongs to the fifth district of Cebu province which Magpale represents in the provincial legislative body.

PB Member Thadeo Ouano earlier passed a resolution requesting the Comelec to immediately resolve the political standoff in Compostela. The resolution was approved in July 12, 2010.

However, the resolution got lost for a while and was just forwarded to Comelec Manila last week after PB Member Jude Thaddeus Sybico, also of the fifth district, inquired about the status of their request to Comelec.

PB's request to Comelec was prompted by the complaints from the residents that the delivery of basic services has been affected by the political deadlock. The Comelec suspended the proclamation of all winning candidates during the May 10 elections because of the election protest filed by former mayor Ritchie Wagas.

Wagas lost to Joel Quinio during the elections but the poll body ordered the suspension of the proclamation of the latter including all the winning members of the municipal council pending the resolution of the election protest.

Magpale also cited in her resolution the current financial standing of Compostela wherein according to the report of the Commission on Audit the town is already on the verge of bankruptcy.

The COA on its report released October 7, 2010 said the municipality only has some P1.55-million cash in its bank and treasury records, not enough to pay for its P14.8-million obligations by year-end 2009.     

The said report also prompted the PB to ask COA officials to shed light before them in next session.

The state auditors reported that "while it is true that in the forthcoming year 2010, there will be cash from collection of taxes and other revenues to be added to the available cash, we find this situation as a real threat to the financial position of the municipality of Compostela in the ensuing year. (FREEMAN)