By Lane Afable, News Editor
Laguna Vice Governor Matangol Jose Carait lll debunked rumors that there was an attempt by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to block the approval of the more than P900 million supplemental budget proposed by Governor Sol Aragones.
“It’s not true,” Carait categorically denied it in a social media post during the interview yesterday.
Said, at first, I ignored it, but it was fuelled by persistent, wild, and unfounded speculations in social media,” he added.
Furthermore, the issue was further aggravated with the ouster of Board Member Jam Agarao as Sangguniang Panlalawigan chair of the Committee on Finance, Budget, and Appropriation that spawned malicious insinuations by some Laguna netizens “that her removal from the post was part of a sinister plot” that eventually caught attention and solicited a direct and biased reaction of Governor Sol Aragones.
“Ano ba ang prosesong naganap? Na-inform
ba ang taong tatanggalin? Meron ba siyang ginawang kasalanan? Meron ba siyang hindi kaayaayang ginawa?
“Very powerful ang committee na ito lalo sa panahon ng krisis. At pangatlo, sino ang author nito?
“Simple lang naman ang
tanong ko. Kailangan n’yong sagutin and we demand an explanation.”
Carait said that there neither was a plot to block the supplemental budget nor the eviction of Agarao from her post was linked to it.
Board Member (BM) Arnel DC Gomez, an Executive Directorate in Leadership in a Post Graduate Studies; Master in Development Management and Governance; BS Electronics and Communication Engineer; a 3-term Vice Mayor of Sta. Rosa City; a City Councilor of Sta. Rosa, replaced Agarao.
“There was a motion for the removal of BM Agarao by BM Lorenzo Zuniga, seconded, and without objection from the members, thus, it was carried out; and out of my ministerial duty, I have to tap the gavel,” he explained.
It is said that the so-called plot to block Aragones’ more than P900-million supplemental budget reportedly came about when netizens expressed suspicions and tagged online that said amount could be the sum of overpriced items like medicines, hospital equipment, and other health products that needs monitoring or probe for transparency by Sangguniang Panlalawigan that has an oversight function to investigate.
“Out of it”, a netizen privy to the information who requested anonymity said, “a story that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan will block its passage into law “as it will conduct an investigation over an alleged “overpricing” issue” spread online, thus, the senseless, yet, rowdy political noise.
Nevertheless, the proposed P900-million supplemental budget was unanimously approved in the 3rd and final reading by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan without a hitch in yesterdays special session.
