BONUS NA POD SA BISLIG

Ikaupat nga bonus na!

Luyo sa gibandilyo sa gobyerno nga kalisod sa pondo alang sa siyudad sa Bislig, sayon lang gihaponng gi aprobahan sa local nga pangagamhanan ang resolusyon nga nagtugot sa pagpanghatag ug ikaupat nga bonus para sa empleyado ug opisyales sa local nga kagamhanan. Nagprotesta ang Bislig sa pagkahimong siyudad sa 16 ka munisipyo, sa katarungan nga natibhangan na ang pondo para sa Bislig LGU nga siguradong maka apekto sa mga proyekto sa dakbayan apan nakakita gihapon kini ug paagi nga paganahan ang mga empleyado.

Gi aprobahan na sa sesyon sa SP niadtong usa ka adlaw ang resolusyon nga nagtugot sa pag release sa gitawag ug Anniversary Bonus para sa taga City Hall nga tag 3 mil kada usa. Ikaupat na nga bonus kining dawatonon nga anniversary bonus sa mga empleyado sukad sa pagpanghatag sa bonus niadtong November 2007. Subay sa pakisusi sa Periodico Sursur, ubay ubay gayud nga mga empleyado ang nalipay tungod sa laing bonus na usab nga ilang madawat.

Pero may mga Bisliganon pod nga nangyam-id ug nanaway kay daw migawas nga “gisiguro lang sa mga empleyado ug opisyales ang ilang kaugalingon” imbes ang interes sa kinabag-ang lungsoranon. Bisan gani si Konsehal Vicencio ug Vice Mayor Cejoco gitaho nga wala malipay nga sunod sunod ang mga bonus nga gipanghatag luyo sa pagkunhod ug P35 milyones sa IRA alang sa 2008. Ang pagmenos sa IRA gituohan nga maka apekto sa mga aprobado na apan wala pa mhauman nga mga proyekto.

Si Konsehal Socrates “Batsoy” Conde kahinumduman nangayo ug P5 milyones alang sa patubig unta sa tanang kabarangayan nga sakop sa siyudad sa Bislig saw ala pa mabahin bahin ang surplus niadtong Disyembre 2007. Apan hangtod karon ang hangyo ni Conde nagpabiling wala pa gyod matratar tungod sa kakulang sa pondo. Apan dihang gipresentar ang ikaupat nga round sa bonus, paspas pa sa alas kwatro nga gi aprobahan kini. Hinoon matud pa sa tinubdan, angayan gayod ihatag ang bonus nga P3 mil tungod kay nasugdan na kini niadtong 2001 base sa Local Budget Circular ug niadto pa untang 2006 madawat pag usab ang maong bonus.

Apan matud ni Konsehal Vicencio dihang na delatar ang maong bonus ubay ubay usab nga text messages ang iyang nadawat apil na ang bahad kaniya nga

“magkita ra ta sa sunod eleksyon, maayo man ka kay dato. (Let us see in the next election, good for you because you are rich.” )

 

FLORENCIO GARAY – BB PIMENTEL FACE OFF IN 2010?

     Garay                                      Pimentel

This information is based on an article written by Edmund Sestoso of Periodico Caraga dated December 18, 2007. According to the said article incumbent Surigao del Sur Governor Vicente “BB” Pimentel is on the process of transferring his residence in the 2nd District of Surigao del Sur in preparation to challenge incumbent Congressman Florencio Garay. In the last elections, Florencio Garay is the lone United Opposition candidate who won in Caraga region beating former Congressman Jessnar Falcon, from the administration. In the last election also, Bislig City dumped Surigao del Sur favorite son, Prospero Pichay Jr. in the senatorial race. Needless to say, the 2nd District of Surigao del Sur has become an opposition stronghold and pose a headache to the administration. The administration is now leaving no stone unturned to revenge its defeat in the area.

This might be the reason that the administration coalition is pulling all its resources to reclaim their lost ground in that part of Surigao del Sur and what could be more appropriate than to field its strongest bet to beat Garay who is Governor Vicente Pimentel.

Governor Vicente Pimentel for his part, is on his last term and maybe is now pondering his political future. Political observers see 4 possible options for him. One, he may run for Congress in the 1st District where Tandag City belongs. But the problem is he may have a head on collision with Philip Pichay, the incumbent Congressman and brother of the more celebrated Prospero Pichay Jr. I don’t think Pimentel would destroy his strong alliance with the Pichay’s. Second, he may opt to run for Mayor of Tandag City and swapped with his brother, Mayor Lawrence Pimentel. Lawrence Pimentel will run for Governor to succeed his brother’s post. Three, he may run for the 2nd District and face Congressman Garay, (which is the direction he seems to be heading) and Four, he may run as Mayor of Carrascal, Surigao del Sur, his previous post before he won as Governor of the Province.

Now back to the 2nd district face off, Garay for his part is no push over. Thought to be a goner as far as Surigao del Sur politics is concerned, he came back with a vengeance and unbelievably defeated the well entrenched Falcon dynasty. The Falcons were wiped out last elections as both Jessnar Falcon and his son Jed Falcon lost in the congressional and mayoralty race respectively in Bislig City. While Governor Pimentel may have an edge as far being the leader of the entire province, the 2nd District may not be as hospitable as before if one will base his assessment on the last May election results in the district.

In the last elections, the administration influence in Surigao del Sur starts to wane in the municipality of Lianga all the way to the south or the 2nd District to be exact. Incidentally these are the areas where the road and highway conditions in the province of Surigao del Sur is at its worst. In fact, the Lianga-Tandag stretch was one of the projects singled out by no less than the World Bank as badly implemented. The frustrations of the Surigaonons translated into votes against the administration in the last elections.

At present, another issue may again result to a backlash of administration candidates in the area. Im talking about the recent evacuation of lumads in the area due to massive military operations. Several reliable media reports however points that the present displacement of lumads was not due to militarization but to the issue of mining in their lands. But that will be tackled in another entry. Garay vs. Pimentel in 2010? Another battle royale in the offing.

***

Still in Bislig City, Congressman Florencio “Inciong” Garay proudly announced to his constituents that he already filed and sponsore 15 House Bills, 12 of them of local application, despite his being a neophyte in Congress. He proved his critics wrong that he cant get any pork barrel being a candidate of the opposition, when he declared that he got a 70 million funding for projects in the 2nd District. He vowed to finish all the projects which were initiated by his predecessor. He however noted that while there are some infrastructure projects which were physically incomplete, the budget for these projects were already released according to the DPWH. Garay vowed that before his term ends in 2010, only 5% of his projects will remain incomplete especially roads and highways. He will give priority to completion of road concreting to avoid being called “Congressman Putol-putol). The Congressman also allocated 5 million pesos for the concreting of the road leading to Lawigan Port to make it fully operational.

A sad note however. Garay said he already allied himself with the administration but proudly declared he did not receive any payola of 500,000 in Malacanang. He recently took his oath as member of the Nacionalista Party of Senate President Manny Villar.