It seems that there is an uproar brewing in relation to the alleged gag order recently issued by Panglao mayor Edgardo Arcay.
The uproar comes from key personalities of Panglao raising a howl of protest over the alleged gag order by the Panglao mayor.
Mayor Arcay, in a memorandum signed on Jan. 26, 2023, restricted the attendance of employees of the executive department LGU of Panglao in activities.
This means the LGU executive department employees can not attend sessions, meetings and conferences without the permission coming from the mayor.
The mayor directed all employees of the executive department, department heads, contract of service workers, collectors, workers at the Bantay Dagat, to ask the permission of the mayor prior to their attendance in meetings, sessions and conferences.
Any invitation for conferences, meetings or sessions shall be forwarded to the office of the mayor in order for him to give an authorization to the employee who is to attend such activity, according to the memorandum.
The invitation to attend should be forwarded to the mayor’s office a week prior to the activity that the employee is supposed to attend, the memorandum added.
REACTION
As this developed, an uproar was heard from a former mayor of Panglao town regarding the issuance of the alleged gag order.
Former Panglao mayor Doloreich Dumaluan is urging current Panglao mayor Arcay to resign as local chief executive of the said town as the former thinks the latter has allegedly mismanaged the affairs of the town.
In an interaction with the media on Feb. 8, 2023, Dumaluan said Arcay doesn’t have any idea how to manage the affairs of the town as mayor.
The former mayor said Arcay showed gross ignorance of the law after the latter released a memorandum which is an order to the employees of the executive department of LGU Panglao.
The former mayor said that his criticism of Arcay is nothing personal. Dumaluan said that he only wants what is good for the town of Panglao.
It can be remembered that Arcay and Dumaluan joined their forces in the last elections against former councilor Amira Alia Montero-Caindec, the daughter of former mayor Leonila Montero. Montero-Caindec ran for mayor in the said town.
MAYOR’S REACTION
The Bohol Tribune tried to call Arcay to get his side on the reason he issued the memorandum in the first place.
However, in the two instances The Bohol Tribune reached out, the mayor was engaged in a meeting and could not be disturbed.
The text messages sent by The Bohol Tribune to Mayor Arcay’s phone were also unreturned.
However, the mayor managed to explain his side in a radio interview. He said the reason he issued the order is because the employees would complain to him after attending the sessions at the town council or Sangguniang Bayan of Panglao (SB). The employees allegedly are complaining to the mayor of being scolded by councilors after attending sessions at the SB.
“Daghang reklamo nga muanha kuno sila. Tawgon sila bisan ga trabaho unya pag abot didto [sa session] kasab-an ra,” the mayor said.
The mayor said that there is an exception to the order. He will allow the employees to attend any meeting, session and conference if it is urgent. He refuses to call his memorandum as a gag order.
Arcay said that his personnel could no longer stand being scolded especially when attending the sessions at the SB. He thinks that it is time to take action to protect his subordinates.
Arcay said he would allow the LGU employees to attend the meetings, sessions and conferences as long as permission is asked from him.
“Mahimo mananghid sila [town council] nako nya ibutang ang mga agenda ug magpatawag sila tagae ug seven days kay usahay raba naay daghang trabaho nga akong gipatrabaho nila [LGU employees],” the mayor added.
As to why he can’t answer the phone, the mayor also explained that he would generally not entertain calls coming from numbers which are not registered in his phonebook.
He also added that he is too busy attending to the affairs of the town. This is the reason he can’t answer calls right away.
SB’S ACTION
Panglao councilor Dennis Hora, in a telephone interview, believes that the mayor may have been at the receiving end of bad advice in relation to the alleged gag order.
Hora stressed that the local legislature has a right to summon LGU employees in aid of legislation.
Hora, who is a lawyer, said that the gag order of the mayor has no legal basis. He added that the latest move of the mayor is counter productive as it would take some time for the LGU employees to attend the sessions and be able to contribute to the legislative process.
A resolution was passed by the SB of Panglao asking Arcay to withdraw his gag order and allow the employees to freely attend the sessions, meetings and conferences. According to Hora the resolution was passed unanimously last Monday, Feb. 5, 2023.
SIMILAR ORDER
The order of Arcay stirs the memories of observers about Executive Order 464 series of 2005 issued by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The said order prevents the cabinet members, police and military generals, senior security officials and other officials to attend congressional hearings unless the president allows the attendance of the official being summoned.
In April 2006, the Supreme Court decided that the executive order is unconstitutional.