Governor Arthur Yap sternly reminded Panglao Mayor Leonila Montero that “nobody is above the law” on Friday, a day after the Bohol Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) filed charges against her for breach of health protocols.
Yap, who issued the statement in an online press briefing, did not elaborate on what he meant by the reminder to Montero but the municipal chief executive is noted to be beleaguered by complaints on alleged health protocol violations.
“You mind your conduct as a mayor. The challenge for you is to follow the rules of the province. Don’t think you’re special just because you’re the mayor of Panglao and you have an interest to protect in Panglao,” Yap said.
“That does not mean that you can do whatever you want. Nobody is above the law. You are not above the law,” he added.
Montero, in a paid radio program, had hit the Capitol accusing it of implementing outdated health protocols particularly on the operation of resorts, restaurants and other establishments in the hospitality industry.
The last-term municipal chief executive said Panglao has long been following its own protocols for the operation of businesses when the resort town reopened its tourism industry in July.
“Kaning ilang IRR… Dili na ni mada og bahog-bahog kay kina pan-osan, di na pud mo kaon ang baboy ani kay sakitan og tiyan,” she said.
According to Yap, the province’s current implementing rules and regulations (IRR) on health safety were designed by doctors and these have helped in limiting the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID) 2019 in the province.
“Our IRR were recommended by our doctors. I am not a doctor. Mao na ako mi sunod ra ko sa mga advice sa atong mga doctor. Mao nga napa-usos nato ang atong mga infection. So Mayor Montero you are not a doctor so don’t pretend to be a doctor,” Yap said.
“I am not a doctor, so I don’t pretend to be a doctor mao gikonsulta nato ang mga doctor. So I follow the rules that the doctors have prescribed or advised us, so how can you say na pan-os ang atong mga rules,” he added.
As of Thursday, Bohol had recorded 131 active COVID-19 cases but only 21 of these were local transmissions.
Most of the cases were APORs (authorized persons outside of residence), locally stranded individuals and overseas Filipino workers.
On Thursday, the BIATF which is chaired by Yap filed charges against Montero for violating health protocols as stipulated in Provincial Ordinance 2020-022.
Montero has been accused of failing to secure authorization from the Office of the Governor and the BIATF for her travel to Cebu and back to Bohol in September. She also allegedly failed to undergo quarantine upon her return to the province.
Her alleged failure to isolate herself prompted Yap and First District Rep. Edgar Chatto to undergo self-quarantine after she met them in a public gathering three days after her arrival in the province.
Those entering the province are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine which may only be cut short to five days after testing negative in a polymerase chain reaction test. (A. Doydora)