Zulueta lashes at Antiquiera anew
City Councilor Perla Zulueta lashed at Councilor Eldrid Antiquiera in last Wednesday's regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod over the latter's investigation of a milling firm, of which he is a retaining counsel.
Zulueta, former chairperson of the Committee on Public Services, Environmental Protection and Ecology now chaired by Antiquiera, branded Antiquiera's report as "anemic and impotent."
During yet another tumultuous session of the city legislature, battle lines are again drawn with the seven-man group--the same councilors who voted to strip Zulueta of her committee chairmanships more than a month ago--said to be loyal to Acting DOJ secretary Raul Gonzalez, Sr. voting in favor of the Antiquiera report. Zulueta, meanwhile, led four others in objecting to the adoption of the said committee report. Ex-officio members Marietta Orleans and Stevie Rey Abitang failed to have their votes counted.
Earlier during the session, Antiquiera read the contents of his committee report, wherein he recommended the referral of the complaint filed by one Teodoro Salem of Brgy. Progreso, Lapuz against Philippine Foremost Milling Corp. (PFMC) plant to the "appropriate technical entity" after finding the said complaint to be "premature."
As soon as Antiquiera moved for the adoption of the said report, Zulueta took the floor to ask the presiding officer, Vice Mayor Jed Mabilog, if Antiquiera is willing to yield to interpellation. "I am honored," the latter replied.
At the outset, Zulueta asked Antiquiera regarding a possible conflict of interest in his decision to conduct an investigation on Salem's complaint himself, considering that he has earlier admitted to being retaining counsel for PFMC. "There obviously is a conflict of competing duties here--his duty to the people of the city of Iloilo as councilor and his duty to Foremost Milling as its counsel."
Zulueta went on to suggest that Antiquiera should have inhibited himself from conducting the investigation if only for delicadeza, although she acknowledged inhibition should be voluntary on the part of the lawyer-councilor.
It was at this point when the fiery legislator from Molo called Antiquiera's report as "anemic and impotent."
"You wasted so much time on this only to come up with a recommendation that the matter be referred to a more technical entity?" Zulueta asked. "One would think he conducted an investigation on the matter only to please Salem and make the poor guy think his complaint is finally being given attention while all the while he is predisposed into clearing his client PFMC of any wrongdoing."
She also expressed irritation over Antiquiera's frequent mention in his report that Zulueta and former councilor Rita Bascos-Sarabia "ignored and never gave attention" to Salem's earlier complaints.
"I can't understand why this so-called failure on our part to give Salem's complaint ‘due attention' is being highlighted. Is it being intentionally highlighted to put us in bad light while making himself a hero in the eyes of Salem and some other people?" Zulueta queried.
Later, Councilor Jose Espinosa III suggested that the paragraph pertaining to the alleged failure of Zulueta and Sarabia to give attention to Salem's complaint be stricken out of the committee report "so that it will not put in bad light a former member and a sitting member of the city council."
Antiquiera lost no time in rejecting the suggestion by saying that the assailed statement is found in the transcripts of the committee hearing.
When the committee report was put to a vote for adoption, Antiquiera and six others--Councilors Antonio Pesina, Julienne Baronda, Lyndon Acap, Armand Parcon, Jeffrey Ganzon and Ely Estante--voted on the affirmative.
Joining Zulueta in objecting to the adoption of the report are Councilors Eduardo Peñaredondo, Erwin Plagata, Nielex Tupas and Espinosa. Orleans was out of the session hall when the matter was put to a vote while Abitang was late in raising his hand to register his objection.