THE statement of Provincial Board Member Benjie Arcamo that ‘lots of Ordinances are impossible to implement’ has alarmed Board Member Jamie Villamor and wanted to strike it out from the journal of proceedings (minutes) of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan but the former opposed to it.
Both Arcamo and Villamor are practicing lawyers, along with BM Tomas D. Abapo, Jr.
Arcamo’s statement came after the debate over the controversial Ordinance proposed by BM Vierna Mae B. Maglasang ensued.
He proposed Provincial Ordinance No. 017-2023 entitled, “An Ordinance Prohibiting Any Act of Discrimination Based on Sex, Age, Gender, Disability, Race, Status, Sexual Orientation and Religious Affiliation and Penalizing the Same.”
“If the owner or sponsor of the said statement regarding legislations which are hard to implement, and if you would allow, may I move that it must be stricken out from the records because it sounds like it discounts the efforts of the past legislators or can the Gentleman from Panglao clarify on the matter? Kay it will appear in the minutes, Mr. Chair. Thank you very much,” Villamor pleaded presiding Officer Vice-Gov. Dionisio Victor A. Balite.
But Arcamo, who was acting as Floor Leader at the time of the debate, was quick to respond, “I will not allow it to be stricken out from the records, Mr. Chairman. It’s my personal observation that there are lots of ordinances, Mr. Chairman, that are impossible to implement.”
To support his allegation, he named the SP Secretary who “knows that,” referring to the said Ordinances that are hard to implement.
“There are some, I don’t know why it was passed. It’s hard to implement,” he added, saying, “that if you will try to examine, although it is good to see but impossible to implement.”
But Arcamo couldn’t cite an example of an Ordinance passed by the past administration that’s hard to carry out, saying that he did not want the past legislators to be humiliated.
The minutes showed that Arcamo said it is his privilege. “That’s my personal privilege. I have passed upon those ordinances, Mr. Chairman, but I don’t want to state because, for the record, to shield them from any embarrassment, possibly, but there are.”
Villamor, who wanted to protect the name of the past SP lawmakers, backtracked and said that her proposal to delete Arcamo’s statement from the minutes was just a suggestion.
It was not known if Villamor could have moved for a “divide the house” (voting) to strike out Arcamo’s statement from the SP records.
The debate also involved BM Gloria B. Gementiza, representing the Philippine Councilors’ League Bohol chapter, who apparently sensed that Arcamo appeared to be out of topic about the proposed Ordinance.
Gementiza expressed her sentiment that why include other issues, like the Arcamo’s statement when “we are focusing on this ordinance, don’t include other issues as you say, there are some ordinance that we are taking which are hard to implement. Don’t be. We are focusing only on the topic.”
Arcamo retorted that it is his observation, “That is very true, not only now but even before. There are lots of ordinances that are hard to implement. I am not saying that this present Sanggunian. It’s a public knowledge.” (rvo)
