Misamis Oriental Vice Gov. Jeremy Jonahmar Pelaez and provincial board member Jessa Mugot during a political activity in this undated photo. The two politicians lashed back at Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano over the provincial chief executive’s pronouncements against local opposition members.
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Mugot: Misorcares suspension
due to Universal Health Care

By Shiela Mae Butlig and Lito Rulona
Correspondents .

Misamis Oriental Vice Gov. Jeremy Jonahmar Pelaez and provincial board member Jessa Mugot during a political activity in this undated photo. The two politicians lashed back at Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano over the provincial chief executive’s pronouncements against local opposition members.

MISAMIS Oriental Vice Gov. Jeremy Jonahmar Pelaez has challenged Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano to prove his allegations that provincial board member Jerry Khu has a lending business and that the legislator has lent some capitol employees money with their anticipated mid-year bonuses as guarantees.

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Pelaez said this even as provincial board member Jessa Mugot cried foul over what she said was Emano’s attempt to blame the opposition in the province for his decision to suspend his administration’s pet Misorcares program. She said the truth is that Emano had to suspend Misorcares because of the Duterte administration’s Universal Health Care program, and not because Misorcares was sharply criticized by her and other officials.

Pelaez said Emano would need to substantiate his allegations against Khu with evidence “rather than shopping for gossips.”

On Monday last week, Emano told capitol workers during their flag-raising program that he doubted Khu’s sincerity when he brought the matter about the non-release of their mid-year bonuses to the provincial board. The governor alleged that Khu runs a lending business and some capitol workers may have “sold” their bonuses to him, insinuating that there was a conflict of interest on the part of the provincial board.

Khu quickly denied that he has a lending business and that he has lent money to capitol workers in exchange for interests. He dared Emano to randomly ask capitol workers to see if there is anyone who can say that he lent them money in exchange for their bonuses.

Pelaez said, “Jerry Khu has no lending business in the capitol or outside the capitol. I don’t see any good reason why board member Khu was put in a bad light when his only intention is to defend the right of capitol employees to get their mid-year bonuses, the release of which is long overdue.”

“Dili guud na tinuod maayo kaayo sila in concocting lies,” he added.

Pelaez appealed to Emano to consider ordering the release of the bonuses, pointing out that the money belonged to the workers.

“It’s about time that the good governor order the release of the benefits which our employees rightfully deserve,” Pelaez said.

Last week, Emano said paperwork problems delayed the release of the mid-year bonuses. But then he said he has decided not to release the bonuses yet because it was his “wish” for the capitol workers to enjoy their mid-year bonuses by year-end.

Meanwhile, provincial board member Mugot said it was wrong for Emano to blame the local opposition for the suspension of Misorcares.

“Don’t put the blame on us,” said Mugot, adding that the real reason why Misorcares had to be suspended is that the Universal Health Care program of the national government would make it redundant. “Human na man ang eleksyon. Mag-move on na kita alang sa kaayuhan sa katawhan. Daghan kaayo nga mga black propaganda nga ilang gilabay kanako apan wala ko na kini baliha kay humana man kita.”

Mugot said Misamis Oriental has been identified as one of the pilot areas of the Duterte administration’s health program.

She said she and other politicians criticized the Emano administration because they saw Misorcares to be a flawed health program and that it did not fully address the needs of Misamisnons.

Mugot also pointed out that the criticisms escalated during the last election period when issues of public concern were being subjected to public discussions.

“The governor must move on. It is natural for his programs to be scrutinized and criticized if seen to be unfit especially during the campaign period,” she said.

Mugot and Pelaez were named by Emano as among the officials who criticized the Misorcares program during the election period, and that supposedly factored in his decision to suspend Misorcares.

“Bikil gyud siguro kaayo sa atong gobernador kay mao man ang akong advocacy which is for health issues and discussion. During the campaign, mao gyud ang akong kampanya nga we need Philhealth for every individual,” Mugot said. “Iya man gani ko nganlan nga ‘Ms. Righteous’ kay lagi insakto kuno ko sa tanan ilabi na health issues which form part of my advocacy. Wala ako’y mahimo kay siya man ang gobernador.”

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