Oso hits absentee colleagues
Board Member Domingo Oso, Jr. was disgusted with the non-appearance of his colleagues in yesterday's supposed committee hearing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee of the Whole, which he chairs, relative to the pending issues up for investigation by the committee.
As a result, Oso told Capitol reporters, he would recommend that all subject matters pending with the Committee of the Whole be returned to their respective standing committees.
"It's useless," Oso said, adding "the committee hardly gets a quorum every time we have a hearing."
The Committee of the Whole comprises all the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan including the Vice Governor.
Oso noted that yesterday's supposed committee hearing was the second he had called purposely to thresh out technical issues regarding the rules of the committee so it could already take up subject matters pending its disposition. Only board members Niel Tupas, Jr., Cecilia Capadosa, Eric Barbosa and himself were present.
Oso said all the Sangguniang Panlalawigan members had been notified of the scheduled committee hearing. They had also invited Provincial Legal Officer Atty. Salvador Cabaluna.
He said those who were absent did not even inform him that they could not come.
"I don't know. This is always the case when the committee of the whole conducts hearings," Oso lamented.
"I think it would be better if all the subject matters pending with the committee (of the whole) be returned to their respective standing committees. It is easier to convene a certain standing committee since it comprises few members," added Oso.
"For the record," Oso said, "every time the committee of the whole conducts hearings only a few board members could be seen like Tupas, Capadosa, (Romeo) Palmares and (Angel) Briones. Others are always absent."
The investigation on the alleged ghost employees in the Office of the Vice Governor is only one of the cases being handled by the Committee of the Whole.
Oso said several other subject matters are still pending with the committee like the controversial Capitol power substation and the alleged 150 job hires or "belo boys" of Governor Niel Tupas, Sr. which was brought up by Board Member Emmanuel Gallar.