Suplico lambastes Tupas for distribution of volunteers' honoraria
Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico yesterday assailed Gov Niel Tupas Sr. for what he called "broad daylight robbery of the P2,000 honoraria of 11,659 volunteer workers."
In a strongly worded privileged speech he delivered in yesterday's regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), Suplico criticized the governor's distribution of the honoraria at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol for the volunteer workers from 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th districts and at the Barotac Viejo municipal gymnasium for the 5th district volunteer workers.
He claimed such distribution was very costly and inconvenient to the recipients and was used by the governor and his family for their political ends.
To note, the SP approved on December 4 last year Appropriation Ordinance No. 2007-08 which contained among others the granting of P23,318,000 appropriation for the payment of the honoraria of 11,659 volunteer health workers in the province.
It was stated under Section 4 of the said ordinance that the distribution of honoraria will be coursed through the municipality or city concerned in coordination with the local chief executives.
However, said provision of the ordinance was vetoed by Governor Tupas through his veto message dated Dec. 26, 2007 citing that it is "ultra vires" or beyond the powers of the provincial board to "legislate how the honorariums would be paid to the recipients.
The following day Dec. 27 volunteer workers from the 1st and 2nd districts were called to the Iloilo Provincial Capitol to receive their honoraria. Volunteers from the 3rd and 4th district received theirs Dec. 28 also at the Capitol. While, volunteers from the fifth district received their honoraria Dec. 29 at the Barotac Viejo municipal gym.
Suplico said before the distribution of the honoraria the recipients were made to listen to the speeches of the governor and his family.
Suplico said the 3-day distribution of the honoraria preempted any attempt by the SP to override the veto. It was learned that yesterday was the next scheduled session of the SP after the governor's veto message was forwarded to them.
Suplico claimed the province's 11,659 volunteer workers were "fried on their own fat" as "they paid with their own money only to listen to the Governor at the Capitol or him and his family in Barotac Viejo."
Suplico said the expenditures which in effect reduced their P2,000 honoraria could have been avoided if Governor Tupas did not veto section 4 of the ordinance.
"I now call upon the Governor and his family to reimburse the expenses unnecessarily incurred by the 11,659 volunteer health workers," Suplico demanded.
Tupas, in an earlier interview, said that it has been the tradition of his administration to distribute the cash gifts of volunteers from the first to the fourth districts at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol and for the fifth district volunteers in Barotac Viejo.
The governor also downplayed the series of attacks hurled by his nephew. He said it is just part of a political ploy to discredit his administration.
Tupas noted that since Suplico became vice governor he did nothing but to scrutinize his every move.
"Maybe he can't wait to become governor," Tupas quipped.