Reconciliation

Hurray for Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali for approving the recently reported purchase of brand new service vehicles by the provincial administration for distribution to members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan irrespective of party affiliation and the appointment of some officials belonging to opposing parties to sensitive positions in the local government.

A step in the right direction, the great move by Umali toward peace and reconciliation in the hitherto politically-divided provincial government, is indeed a commendable way to start his administration’s second term.

A former congressman, Umali was elected governor in 2007 and re-elected during the May 2010 elections. On his first term, Umali found it difficult to work with an opposition-presided and dominating Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), whose members, for obvious reason, were indifferent and unsupportive of his development programs and projects. The apparent lack of collaboration between the provincial executive and the SP had stood in the way of Governor Umali’s election promise to bring real progress and prosperity to Novo Ecijanos. Worse, this brought Umali a string of graft suits before the Office of the Ombudsman arising allegedly from his failure to secure the required approval of his administration’s projects from the SP. Despite the alleged political harassment, the beleaguered governor remains humble and conciliatory.

Given Gov. Umali’s humility and his implied offer of peace and reconciliation to his obstructionist-political opponents and detractors, the Novo Ecijanos are hopeful that the latter will rise to the occasion and turn themselves instead into “partners for Nueva Ecija’s genuine economic growth and development.”