Sibonga exec’s PCL post bid in limbo?

CEBU, Philippines — Some town councilors have expressed apprehensions on the intention of the wife of Sibonga Mayor Lionel Bacaltos to run for president of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL)-Cebu Chapter.

A group of town councilors, who refused to be identified, said they still have to weigh whether or not to support Sibonga town Councilor Caroline Bacaltos,

Caroline is running against Tabogon Councilor Francis Salimbangon, the son of former district congressman Benhur Salimbangon.

Caroline belongs to the Nacionalista Party (NP), while Francis belongs to the National Unity Party (NUP). Both are allies of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

The PCL election is scheduled on September 8.

Cebu has 422 councilors, excluding those from the component cities of Cebu and Lapu-Lapu.

Of the 422 councilors, 196 belong to PDP-Laban, One Cebu, NUP, NP, and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), all are allies of Garcia.

The 188 councilors, on the other hand, belong to the Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) and Barug Alang sa Kalambuan ug Kauswagan (Bakud), who support Vice Governor and former governor Hilario Davide III and defeated gubernatorial candidate and former vice governor Agnes Magpale.

The 38 others are independent.

The PCL president will sit as ex-officio member of the Cebu Provincial Board.

The councilors’ statement came on the heels of the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division’s ruling, which affirmed its decision convicting Lionel of graft for receiving honoraria from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) even though he was not entitled to.

He was convicted for violating Section 3(e) of R.A. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for receiving P17,512.50 from PhilHealth, which was intended for the municipal health personnel.

He was sentenced to six to eight years imprisonment, with perpetual disqualification from holding public office. He was likewise ordered to pay back the amount of honorarium he took.

Lionel though has still to bring to the Supreme Court the case filed against him.  (FREEMAN)