By NITZ ARANCON Correspondent MEMBERS of the board of the capitol-owned Misamis Oriental Telephone System (Misortel) just stopped meeting and left the fate of the phone company in the hands of Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano. The company was already a hopeless case, said Vice Gov. Jose Mari Pelaez who serves as vice chairman of the Misortel board. “Wala na man sad kami mitingan kay polos na man problema ang na-a sa Misortel,” he said. The Misortel board has 18 members--Emano who is the chairman, Pelaez and provincial board members, including the presidents of the province’s Liga ng mga Barangay and Philippine Councilors’ League, the Misortel general manager. the provincial accountant, provincial budget officer, and provincial treasurer. Pelaez said it has reached a point that Misortel generated no income at all and relied solely on subsidy from the capitol. Because of the company’s sorry state, Pelaez said the previous provincial board gave Emano the blanket authority to decide on Misortel’s fate. “If ever the governor will bring that matter to the SP,  I’m sure we will support him on his move to terminate the operations of the Misortel with or without a buyer,” Pelaez said. Misamis Oriental board member Gerardo Sabal said the Misortel board never met since he was elected to the province’s legislature. “Naglikay si Gov. Emano sa gasto, mao na nga wala kami mag-meeting sukad niadtong July,” Sabal said. Before Emano took over the capitol, he said, members of the Misortel board collected honoraria that were seen as exorbitant. “Giputol ni Gov. Emano kay iyang gilikayan ang gasto kay wala may kita ang Misortel,” Sabal said. Jimmy Caiña, a former provincial board member who served in the Misortel board, said the company’s directors received honoraria of P10 thousand each for every meeting. “Ka usa ra man sab kami mag-meeting sa usa  ka bulan,” Caiña said. The honoraria were given despite Misortel’s losses but Caiña added, “Mag-meeting man gihapon kami, bisan walay honorarium.” Caiña said Misortel was already losing even during his nine years as a member of the provincial board. Aside from stiff competition, he said, cases of cable theft adversely affected the company. Caiña said competition from MTI-PLDT which had better technology hurt Misortel. “Kon asa ang bag-o adto man mo-patronize ang nga tawo. Pagsulod sa MTI, kay mao man to ang bag-o, mao na nga mi-deteriorate gyud ang  kini sa Misortel, plus gipangkawat pa ang telephone wire--misamot ang problema sa Misortel,” he said. Caiña said Emano would do the right thing if he closes down Misortel but “after a public hearing.” He said, “Unahon  pagpasabot ang mga Misortel employees, ug mangayo gyud siyag authority sa Sanguniang Panlalawigan, kay kon iyang serhan nga siya ray  magbo-ot,basin  ma-ombudsman siya.”