THE Sangguniang Panlalawigan is set to tackle the controversy arising from the poultry dressing plant in Alburquerque town that prompted the owner to file court action against the mayor for allegedly refusing to issue business permit to operate.
This came after the SP received a letter from Reinerio J. Balandra, owner of RM Poultry dressing plant who wrote a letter to Vice-Gov. Dionisio Victor A. Balite, seeking help from the SP following the non-issuance of the mayor’s permit.
“It is the second year of my processing for the renewal of the permit and complies all the necessary requirements of LGU but I still haven’t gotten issued by the LGU,” Balandra said.
Balandra said he has filed a case against the Mayor Dondon Buates for Mandamus and the court ruled in his favor. But the mayor still refused to issue a mayor’s permit and instead the mayor filed a motion for reconsideration which was denied by the court for lack of valid reason. He elevated the case before the Court of Appeals.
Balandra said he needed to be issued by mayor’s permit for his business is food essential, employment of some 80 workers and he can help the economic recovery of the province.
The matter was recently referred to the environment protection committee of the provincial board.
Mayor Buates fought back, saying in his facebook post that why forced him to issue mayor’s permit without the needed Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The mayor said if he issues business permit to the dressing plant he might be charged with graft under anti-Graft and Corruption Act or Republic Act No. 3019.
The mayor said he does not care even if thousands of cases he may be facing as long as he is right for the welfare of his constituency.
He said he warned Balandra of his violations of the dressing plant on September 24, 2021. Three days after the latter replied that the construction of waste disposal facility is on-going. Until July 2022, nothing was constructed in barangay upper Tagbuane, the mayor said.
Balandra admitted in media interview that there’s an existing ECC but not in his name but the former owner of the dressing facility.
It was not immediately known when the committee meeting would take place. (rvo)
