LUCENA CITY—Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Quezon tried, but failed, on November 7 to pass an ordinance certified as urgent by Gov. David Suarez authorizing him to negotiate on a P2-billion development loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines and other financial institutions to finance big-ticket projects for 2017 to 2019.
Lacking the required eight numbers, or two-thirds, of the total votes to pass the ordinance, the nine SP members, led by the governor’s brother, board member Donaldo “Jet” Suarez as acting presiding officer at the special session, waited from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. before finally declaring the session adjourned without approving the ordinance.
The ordinance would have kicked off the implementation starting next year of various infrastructure projects in the whole province to be funded by the gargantuan loan.
The special session could not proceed on time, as SP members could not decide whether they have enough number of votes to pass the ordinance. Donaldo Suarez, as acting presiding officer, earlier stated the SP internal rules require two-thirds votes of the total number of board members to pass on money matters or indebtedness, but claims it does not apply when the SP is in special session.
When Donaldo Suarez arrived around 10:42 a.m., he summoned his colleagues Ferdinand Talabong, Claro Talaga Jr., SP Secretary Francis Sia and Executive Assistant to Governor Suarez Juanito Diaz to a closed-door meeting outside the session hall. When they returned, they further exchanged views with other colleagues and finally agreed to wait for Lionel Dalupe, the Department of Interior and Local Government Quezon provincial director, to settle the issue.
Dalupe arrived past 12 noon and firmly stated that eight SP members, or two-third votes of the total number of SP members, is required to approve an ordinance regarding money matters or on contracting a bank loan and not just a simple quorum or a majority. The SP members acted accordingly and promptly adjourned the special session.
The timing of the special session for the passage of the SP resolution coincided with the absence of Governor Suarez, Vice Gov. Sam Nantes and senior board member Elizabeth Sio, who all happened to be out of the country since last week. Governor Suarez was said to have gone to Germany, Nantes to France and Sio to Brunei Darussalam on personal or official business.
The absence of the top 3 Quezon officials left Talabong to be acting provincial governor and Donaldo as acting vice governor and SP presiding officer. Also attending the special session on Monday were board members Aileen Buan, Vincent Dominic Reyes, Rhodora Tan, Raquel Mendoza, Jose Erwin Esguerra and Vicente Salumbides III.
Board member Sonny Ubana was also absent at the special session as he was serving a suspension order from the Office of the Ombudsman due to a graft case when he was mayor.
Board member Hermilando Alcala Jr., who during a committee hearing had earlier expressed the view to defer the special session for further study on the loan ordinance, opted not to attend the special session.
The conduct of the special session was prompted by the letter of the governor on October 26, “requesting for the conduct of a special session on November 7, 2016, at 9 a.m. purposely to deliberate and approve the proposed P2-billion development loan and its corresponding programs and projects.’’
On October 19 provincial administrator Romulo Edano Jr. wrote, on behalf of the governor, to the SP board members through SP presiding officer Nantes, requesting for a passage of an ordinance certified as “urgent”, authorizing the governor to negotiate and enter into a loan agreement with the LandBank of the Philippines or any other financial institutions for the provision of loans intended for funding of various development programs and projects for 2017-2019 amounting to P2 billion, which will be utilized for the following: Social Services Sector, P565 million; Institutional Sector, P345 million; Economic Services Sector, P1.065 billion; and other infrastructure projects, P25 million.
Provincial Planning and Development Officer Maria Odesa provided SP members the list of the proposed infrastructure projects to be funded from the P2-billion loan from the LandBank, which include the construction of the three-story dormitory building at Quezon Science High School, P35 million; construction of Quezon Medical Center West Annex, P180 million; construction of Quezon Cultural and Arts Center at the Provincial Capitol Compound, P50 million; computer laboratory program, P100 million; improvement of SP building, P15 million; construction of SP Secretariat building, P25 million; restoration of the Governor’s Mansion, P25 million; construction of Museum in Unisan town, P30 million; roads and various projects in the provinces’ Fourth District, P215 million, among others.