Puno’s adoption as Pangasinan son draws flak
LINGAYEN–The election fever has already hit the provincial board.
A resolution was passed last Monday making Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno an adopted son of Pangasinan. But not everyone at the provincial board is happy about the resolution passed in an executive session.
First District Board Member Alicia Pulido, for one, said adopting Puno as an honorary Pangasinense was a bad precedent in view of the coming 2010 elections wherein Puno has expressed intent to run as vice president.
“While Puno is a highly respected official and has also contributed something to Pangasinan, caution must be observed especially at this time that politicking is again around the corner and many might become interested to be adopted and therefore it will be tainted with politics,” Pulido said.
Third District Board Member Angel Baniqued echoed the same sentiments saying, “What will prevent us now from adopting (senators) Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, Chiz Escudero and former President Erap Estrada as pointed out by Board Member Pulido?”
Sixth District Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr., who agrees with Pulido’s position, said he proposed that a resolution expressing support and confidence to Puno’s administration would have sufficed instead of making him an adopted son of the province, but this was rejected by the proponents.
“They have cheapened and diluted the privilege of adoption by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. This one should be judiciously extended and as correctly articulated by Board Member Baniqued, we should be careful in adopting,” Bince said.
Bince is also proposing that parameters or guide lines must be set for future adoptions.
Vice Gov. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, presiding officer of the provincial board and author of the resolution said it was unanimously approved by the board in the executive session.
“It is the belief of the majority of us present that Sec. Puno in a way, being the secretary of DILG, had also exhibited an excellent performance in that field,” Agabas said.
She added that the Philippine National Police (PNP) supports the move as Puno has been instrumental in giving fire trucks and PNP vehicles, among others.
“So in a way, it’s a way of saying ‘thank you’ (to him) also and he is coming to the province and so we passed that resolution,” the vice governor said.
She denied any political motivation behind the move. #
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