Mayors League welcomes Yap, supports Prov’l Board’s call for special election

January 27, 2020 Provincial

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Mayors League of this province on Friday (Jan. 24), passed a resolution welcoming party-list Representative Eric Go Yap of Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS), as caretaker.

At the same time, the mayor’s group demonstrated support on the recent Provincial Board’s resolution, asking Congress to initiate a special election to fill the post of the late Rep. Nestor Fongwan, Sr. Interviewed by Amianan Balita Ngayon (ABN), Itogon mayor Victorio Palangdan, confirmed their action after Friday’s meeting which majority of its members attended.

“Our group welcome Rep. Yap as caretaker of our province. And we also support the [provincial] board resolution, asking Congress to initiate a special election,” Palangdan said.

In a separate telephone interview, Mankayan Mayor Frenzel Ayong told ABN “ our town welcome’s Yap.” “In fact, on Monday (Jan. 27), our town’s council will be passing a resolution to officially welcome him,” said Ayong, who was in Manila for an official mission.

“He (Yap) was appointed by the Speaker of the House and we have to respect it. The party which Yap belong (ACT CIS) got the highest number of votes in Mankayan,”Ayong added.

”In similar occasions, when visitor(s) come to Benguet we give a warm welcome.Its in our culture,” said Ayong adding that “let’s try until December, if nothing change, let’s go for the special election. Mayor Romeo Salda of this capital town, for his part, prefer to hold a special election.

“By conducting a special election.The people of Benguet will have the chance to select their own representative,” said Salda, who was also absent in the meeting, attending an official business trip in Pampanga.

“By exercising their right to vote, it attune to the times and reflective of their aspirations for the province’,” Salda pointed.

For the record, some of the bills authored and filed by Yap, a neophyte in the 18th Congress include: ACT ENTITLING BARANGAY OFFICIALS FIXED SALARIES AND SUCH OTHER BENEFITS BEING ENJOYED BY REGULAR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES;ACT ESTABLISHING THE DEPARTMENT OF OVERSEASE FILIPINO WORKERS (DOFW); ACT INCREASING THE SALARY GRADE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS FROM SALARY GRADE 11 TO SALARY GRADE 15 AND PROVIDING FUNDS; AND AN ACT INSTITUTING THE MAGNA CARTA OF FILIPINO SEAFARERS, among others.

Primo Agatep/ABN