PB okays status quo on posts, committees

THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) will observe the status quo in  committee chairmanships and some positions in the board.

Only the post of  minority floor leader needs to be changed because of new alignments with the Liberal Party, as agreed in Friday’s meeting.

Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale told reporters they have to wait for results of a meeting called by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia with her allies who are now the minority bloc in the PB.

Garcia’s allies are PB members a Sun Shimura, Joven Mondigo Jr., Ian Zambo and Alex Binghay of One Cebu party and Julian Daan and Sergio Restauro of Alayon party.

“The chairmanship is as is… We will leave it at that,” Magpale said.

PB Member Peter John Calderon, who was sworn in as LP member last month,  remains  majority floor leader.

In a separate interview, Calderon said the PB hasn’t reached a common stand about whether to pass  Supplemental Budget No. 1.

“If we cannot reach a consensus then we will vote (this Monday),” he added.

Last Monday, the PB deferred  approval of the P271,965,000 supplemental budget. The budget includes the P23.64 million outlay  for the collective negotiation agreement (CNA) incentive for 1,576 Capitol employees.

Also listed in the budget is  P23.545 million for the governor’s office.

About P12.364 million was set aside for the vice governor’s office and P48.295 million for the PB,  P55 million  for local government subsidy and more than P7 million for district hospitals.

Also, P2.073 million was set for the Cebu provincial jail and more than P2 million for the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus