Garcia ready to name new MCWD directors

CEBU, Philippines — Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia hinted that he is more than ready to appoint new members of Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) Board should there be an official vacancy following the alleged refusal of two directors to attend board meetings.

Garcia reacted to the statement made by MCWD chairman Jose Daluz III that there are only three of them left functioning in the board because the two other members were no longer attending board meetings.

Daluz mentioned the situation in the board during his speech in yesterday’s groundbreaking ceremony of MCWD’s expansion projects in Barangays Agsungot and Guba.

Garcia said he is ready to fill up the two seats should there be an official declaration of vacancy. The process, Garcia said, is internal to the members of the MCWD Board which he cannot intervene despite being the appointing authority.

He admitted having officially informed about the absences of the two directors and their refusal to perform their duties but he could not do anything unless their seats are officially vacant.

Garcia explained that there is an internal process in the MCWD Board before a new appointment could be made.

“Para nila pwede na nila mailisdan, maybe considered as vacant already. That is their own internal policy, their internal laws,” said Garcia.

As soon as the vacancy become official, Garcia said he will make the necessary appointment.

“We are ready to appoint of course,” Garcia said.

He, however, said he does not have any names yet of the possible candidates.

Aside from Daluz, the other members of the MCWD Board are Miguelito Pato, Jodelyn Seno, Earl Bunachita, and Danilo Ortiz.  Except for Pato and Seno the two others were no longer attending board meetings.

Earlier, Bunachita and Ortiz declared that they no longer recognize Daluz as legitimate chairman of MCWD Board after he and his two allies were removed by suspended mayor Michael Rama and appointed retired General Melquiades Feliciano, Atty. Aristotle Batuhan and businessman Nelson Yuvallos as new members of the board.

An impasse ensued prompting the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to intervene and appoint an interim board. The Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), however, rendered an opinion in favor of the Daluz-led board.— (FREEMAN)