Clarin mayor Eugene Ibarra reached out to The Bohol Tribune to air his side on the issue stating that he allegedly walked out from a regular session of the said town’s Sangguniang Bayan (SB).

The mayor reached out to The Bohol Tribune to air his side on the incident where it was reported that he left the SB session hall while the session was going on, on Oct. 12, 2021, causing discomfort among the members of the august body.

Mayor Ibarra aired his side in an interview over Open Forum radio program on Oct. 19, 2021 hosted by Ardy Araneta-Batoy and Dave Albarado.

In the interview, Ibarra said that he left the session hall after taking exception to the way Coun. Carlo Ombajin asked him questions regarding the alleged use of coastal resource management (CRM) funds for the wages of job order workers who are assigned at the parks and plaza and not at  the CRM special project.

Ibarra was invited to the said SB session to shed light on the matter regarding the JO wages allegedly charged to the CRM funds.

Ibarra said, during the radio interview, that he attended the SB session in the hope that the matter regarding the funds for the wages of the JO workers will be resolved.

Ibarra said: “Akong gehangyo sa kinatibuk-an sa SB, nga unta hisgotanan nato karon [the wages of the JO] ug ato ni syang hatagan ug pagtagad kay kini para sa atong katawhan. Kung duna [man] gani mga diperensya ana sa pamaagi, naa man ang Local Finance [Committee] ug mao man na sila ang naka plastar ana kay sila ang knowledgeable kaayo.” 

The mayor explained during the radio program that he pleaded to the SB to pass the supplemental budget so that the JO workers can get their wages. 

The mayor continued by saying that Ombajin, who is the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Clarin town, can ask the members of the Local Finance Committee (LFC) about the allegation that the wages of JO workers in the parks and plaza were charged to the CRM funds.

“The way I understand, dili man ako ang nagplastar kun unsa ang procedure,“ the mayor elaborated.

The mayor also said that the members of the LFC were the ones who gave the advice on how to solve the JO wage problem.

But in the course of the SB session, Ibarra said that he felt slighted by the remarks of Ombajin.

The mayor said that Ombajin told him, “Dili na lang ta mag drama. Dili ta mag hilak-hilak, murag si Kiko Pangilinan, sana all.”

The words, according to the mayor, uttered by Ombajin offended him. Ibarra relayed during the radio nterview that after he heard the words of Ombajin, he stood up, took his notebook with him, and wen out of the session hall. 

“Basta ako naglikay na lang ko sa istorya kay murag dili na man mao sa among gi-discuss, [mao nga] nilakaw na lang ko,” the mayor said explaining his action during the said session of the SB.

On the issue of the alleged charging of the JO workers’ wages to the CRM funds, Ibarra said that the members of the LFC can explain the reason behind this. 

OMBAJIN’S SIDE

In pursuit of fairness, The Bohol Tribune invited Ombajin to air his side on Oct. 20, 2021 over radio program Newsmakers Ug Uban Pa.

Ombajin said that the mayor asked to approve the Supplemental Budget No. 2 which includes funds to pay the wages of JO workers.

Ombajin continued by saying that the SB was about to pass the said appropriation measure but deferred its approval after it was discovered that the wages of the JO workers assigned to the parks and plaza allegedly have been charged to the CRM funds.

Ombajin also said that the SB, then, asked the mayor not to realign the funds allotted as counterpart funds for the Kapit Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan (Kalahi) and the budget reserved for the purchase of anti-Coronavirus disease (Covid) vaccines, he said.

Ombajin added that Supplemental Budget No. 2 in the amount of P1.650 million will be used to pay for power and water bills, water utility expenses, office supplies, solid waste management expenses, and maintenance of parks and plaza. The said budget measure is approved. But, the SB had questions over the use of CRM funds for wages thus the august body led by Vice Mayor Allen Rey Piezas, invited the mayor to the Oct. 12, 2021 session.

Ombajin said that prior to the invitation extended to Ibarra, the SB invited members of the LFC to shed light on the matter.  During a committee meeting, an LFC member confirmed that parks and plaza 53 JO workers’ wages were charged to the CRM funds.

“The Local Finance Committee already made their statement ug ang atong municipal accountant miingon nga ang iyang trabaho is to prepare financial records and reports of the LGU [local government unit] ug basta kompleto lang kuno ang mga supporting documents signed by the HR [human resource] or the mayor, mu release siya sa funds kay mao man ni ang iyang trabajo,” Ombajin said.

When asked if it is okay to release the funds even if it is off tangent given that the wages of JO working at the parks and plaza are charged to the CRM funds, Ombajin provided an explanation.

Ombajin explained that the members of the LFC have no say on how the funds are being utilized, since the explanation on how the funds will be used is done/given by the end user, which is – in this case—the mayor.

Ombajin also said that the usage of CRM funds for wages did not undergo realignment procedures.

Ombajin denied that he raised his voice while he was asking the mayor some questions during the SB session. Ombajin even indicated that the SB wants to help the administration regarding its problems. He added that he wanted to iron out all issues so no cases will be filed against anybody. Besides, Ombajin said, there are no plans to file any complaint before the Ombudsman or any other forum against anybody.

“Siguro wala kasabot si Mayor sa akong buot ipasabot, as the mayor seemed to get  angry at me and even challenged me to file charges against him [the mayor] and the latter will face Ombajin in any court.

It was also relayed during the radio program that the mayor had a cameraman with him during the session. This man was identified as a certain Edilito Cutchon. Without any provocation, it was alleged that  Cutchon told Ombajin, in front of all the people at the session hall, that he [Ombajin] was being impolite to the mayor in the manner that Ombajin was talking to the mayor during the session. It was also reported in the radio program that Cutchon simply talked spontaneously during the session even if he was not recognized by the presidin officer. 

In effect, the presiding officer, Vice Mayor Allen Ray Piezas asked Cutchon to leave the session hall as the latter was not recognized by Piezas and was not given the floor to talk. 

PIEZAS‘ SIDE

Piezas was also invited by broadcasters Ardy Aranta-Batoy and Gloria Leodivica Ines-Araneta to shed light on the matter. Piezas said that in his opinion, the mayor indeed walked out from the session hall as the latter [the mayor] did not ask from the presiding officer the permission to leave. 

“Kung ako ang pasulti-on murag nag walk out gyud [si Mayor],” the vice mayor said in the radio interview aired on Oct. 21, 2021 over Newsmakers Ug Uban Pa hosted by Batoy and Araneta.

Piezas agreed to the observation of Araneta-Batoy that a person who attends a session and wants to participate in the discussion needs to be recognized and be given permission by the presiding officer before doing and saying anything. In this case according to Piezas, Mayor Ibarra never asked permission from him to leave the session hall while the session was on going.

Piezas also confirmed that the mayor brought Cutchon to the session hall as a cameraman. After Cutchon made the remarks against Ombajin without any recognition from the presiding officer, the latter called Cutchon out of order and asked him to leave the hall.

Piezas said that he felt that Mayor Ibarra’s voice was raised at one point during the question and answer portion between Ombajin ang Ibarra.

Piezas also said that Ombajin was not in a combative mood when he was asking the mayor about the issue of the approval of the supplementary budget. Ombajin, the vice mayor said, was merely asking questions and only narrated the status of the supplemental budget.

Piezas asked Ombajin about his statement to the mayor that caused Ibarra to leave the session hall.

Piezas said that during the first part of the Q & A portion between Ombajin and Ibarra,  the approach of the mayor to the discussion of supplemental budget no. 2, was very calm. Towards the middle portion of the Q & A portion, the mayor seemed to get  impatient. The mayor’s body language at that point indicated that he was already irate.