Appointment delay dismays vice gov

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose "Bong" Lacson revealed that he was "disappointed" the appointment of former fifth district provincial board member Angelito Colmenares is still hanging.

"I’m disappointed in the sense that we were given the run around as far as the documents of Mr. Colmenares are concerned," the vice governor said.

He said they are following the trail of the document from the provincial office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government to the regional office then to the main office. Lacson said the document then went to the office of DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero, then to the office of Interior Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II.

"But it was returned to the office of Usec Panadero, claiming that Secretary Mar does not have to sign (the document)," he said.

Now, it’s back in the office of Secretary Mar, he added.

"We were told that when it was returned back to the office of Usec Panadero, it will be then sent to the Malacañang. That as of yesterday (Tuesday), it was already in the office of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. But now, we were told that it is back to the office of Secretary Mar. You know we are just following what they are telling us, the trail of the said documents," he lamented.

"You know, we are not asking for a favor. The law provides that the Nationalist People's Coalition has the right to fill the vacant position left by the late Board Member Renato Malabor," the vice governor said.

"I don't know. I’m just venting my frustrations. I am just letting the media know what is happening to the said document," he emphasized. "I just don’t understand why it’s going back and forth in the office of Secretary Mar and Usec Panadero," Lacson added.

Colmenares was the unanimous choice of NPC to replace the post of the slain board member. Malabor and his bodyguard, Leody Jomilla, were gunned down in Isabela town on June 28. — Marchel P. Espina (FREEMAN)