Administration-allied Provincial Board Member Tomas Abapo, Jr. hopes for a “harmonious” relationship among members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) which is currently dominated by the opposition.
Abapo said he expects the majority opposition to have its own agenda which could go against that of the administration but expressed optimism that the legislative body would not vote based solely on political alliances.
“Unta dili mo play ang numbers game kay ang reality majority man ang opposition karon,” said Abapo said in an interview over station DYRD on Wednesday.
“Maningkamot ta na alang sa kaayuhan sa Bohol na dunay harmonious relationship kay ang problema lang kay naa man pud silay ilang agenda na sukwahi sa atong agenda,” he added.
The race for the 10 seats of the SP in the May 9 polls ended in a stalemate after five each from the coalitions of Governor Aris Aumentado and former governor Art Yap were elected.
Yap’s group maintained the upper hand as three of the legislative body’s ex-officio members representing the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) and Philippine Councilors’ League (PCL) remain allied with the former chief executive.
During its inaugural session, the majority opposition immediately flexed its dominance after electing Yap-allied SP Member Venzencio Arcamo as floor leader over Abapo.
The SP is also in the thick of assigning committee chairmanships and vice chairmanships, a process known to also be influenced by political alliances.
However, Abapo, a returning veteran provincial legislator, noted that the SP’s political majority is seen to shift with the PCL slated to elect its new officers in the forthcoming weeks and the conduct of the SK and Barangay polls in December.
“In the very near future mausob man ang membership sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan, there are elections cmoning for the PCL, SK and ABC unya basin lain na pud ang maglingkod aning tulo,” said Abapo.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear who is at the helm of the political opposition after Yap announced his retirement from local politics immediately after losing to Aumentado by a wide margin in the May 9 polls.
Yap’s running mate former vice governor Rene Relampagos also lost in his reelection bid to Vice Governor Victor Balite.
The only remaining high-ranking elected official in the opposition is first district Rep. Edgar Chatto. (RT)