Four Boholanos were appointed by Governor Aris Aumentado to represent the provincial government in the boards of directors of the Bohol Light Company, Inc. (BLCI) and Bohol Water Utilities, Inc. (BWUI) replacing former governor Art Yap’s appointees, most whom are from outside the province.
According to Aumentado’s chief of staff Atty. Jun Amora, the governor made it a point to choose Bohol natives to represent the interests of the provincial government and the Boholanos in the boards of both utility companies.
“Makita nimo na highly competent ning mga tawhana. Ug wa lang magtudlo og bisan kinsa kay ang gitudlo mga taga Bohol kay aron sigurado gyud ta na mo laban pud natong mga Bol-anon. They will be there to protect the interest of the province and of the people,” said Amora.
Appointed by Aumentado to sit in the BLCI’s board of directors were Argeo Melisimo and Norris Oculam. They will replace former Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio and Amando Ligutan, who is from Cebu.
Meanwhile, the governor chose Atty. Doni Piquero and Dominic Butalid to be part of the BWUI’s board of directors. They will take over the seats of Ramon Alikpala who is from Manila and Francisco Pioquinto, a Basilan native and father of former Provincial Administrator Kathyrin Pioquinto.
“We are hopefully that they [new representatives] will live up to the advocacy of our governor that is to protect the interest of the Boholanos,” Amora said.
The outgoing directors are classified as coterminous which means that their terms ended when Yap, who himself is not a Bohol native, stepped down from office after losing to Aumentado in the May 9 polls.
SP approval
However, Aumentado’s chosen representatives will still have to hurdle the opposition-dominated Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) which will have to approve their appointments.
According to Amora, he hopes that members of the SP, both from the opposition and administration, will vote on the appointees’ confirmation objectively and not based on political alliances.
He expressed optimism that all four chosen representatives “are highly competent” and can withstand scrutiny from the lawmakers.
“Ila [opposition] man pud ng prerogative, og duna silay mga queries or clarifications, but these nominees can defend themselves. But of course, mao bitawng duna tay requirement for confirmation para mo undergo pud kinta og process aron maka utingkay,” Amora said.
The chief of staff also noted that Butalid, who ran for a seat in the Provincial Board and lost, is not covered by the one-year appointment ban on losing candidates as he will not be working as a regular employee of the provincial government.
“Covered lang kung dunay employer-employee relationship. Dili mana siya employed by the province. He is only a representative and the company is private. He does not report 8-5 to the Capitol or the government,” said Amora.
The provincial government which has a 30-percent stake in BLCI and BWUI has two seats in each of the seven-man boards of both utility firms.
According to Amora, Aumentado as head of the provincial government has authority to choose the representatives with the approval of the SP.
Aumentado’s appointees are set to face the SP during the legislative body’s regular session next week to present their credentials and answer queries from the lawmakers. (A. Doydora)