Capiz capitol exec pooh-poohs persona non grata declaration

By Felipe V. Celino 

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – Provincial Administrator Edwin Chinel Monares said he is not affected by the move of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Capiz to declare him persona non grata or unwelcome.

Monares said he was not even surprised by the move which he already knew long ago.

He added that he was happy to know that Sangguniang Kabataan(SK) Federation President Renzo Teves is now working, “unlike before that he appeared to be in comatose for not doing anything in the provincial board to uplift the needs of his fellow youth.”

Monares believed that Board member Jonathan ‘’Sonny’’ Besa was behind the declaration but he clarified that he has no personal grudge against Besa.

“I’m not affected in the first place because it was not him (Besa) that put me in the position but the governor”, he said.

One of the reasons for the declaration was the alleged combatant behavior of Monares against members of the provincial board and the alleged misleading act pertaining to the P79-million supplemental budget requested by the executive branch.

Board Members Eleuper Martinez and Esteban “Steve” Contreras questioned the resolution as it would create additional tension between the executive and the legislative.

But majority of the members strongly endorsed the resolution because of Monares’ alleged disrespect of the provincial board members.

The resolution was approved by the eight members while two voted against and one abstained.

The resolution said that Monares is no longer welcome with the members of the legislative, either in private or his official functions as provincial administrator.

Monares questioned the authority of the provincial board under the local government code in declaring him persona non grata.

He said the provincial board prioritized the persona non grata resolution instead of acting on the request for the supplemental appropriations of the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital (RMPH) amid pandemic.