First District Board Member Benjie Arcamo revealed some of the administrative cases filed against local government unit (LGU) officials in Bohol during a radio program on January 31, 2024.

Arcamo was a guest on Open Forum, hosted by Ardy Araneta-Batoy and Gloria Leodivica Araneta, where he discussed the role of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Committee on Good Government in investigating the complaints against the LGU officials.

He said that one of the cases under probe was the allegation of misconduct by a town employee against Alicia mayor Victoriano Torres III, noting that the committee had selected seven SP members to conduct the inquiry on Torres.

He also mentioned other pending cases involving a local official of Calape town and another elected official of Sierra Bullones town, adding that these cases were still being deliberated by the committee.

He further disclosed that a case against Dauis mayor Roman Bullen, filed by the mayor’s relative, was dismissed on technical grounds.

Arcamo also talked about the resignation of San Isidro town councilor Gloria Gementiza as the president of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL)-Bohol chapter, which gave her the right to sit as an SP member. 

He said Gementiza had a term-sharing agreement with Tagbilaran City Councilor Nicanor Besas, who was the PCL-Bohol vice president before Gementiza stepped down. Besas then assumed the PCL-Bohol presidency and the SP seat.

Arcamo also commented on the possibility of clashes among SP members in light of the national debate on changing the Constitution through a people’s initiative. 

He said that as people’s representatives, SP members sometimes had disagreements, but they were part of a healthy democracy. 

SP is composed of diverse personalities and backgrounds, and that they respected each other’s opinions, according to Arcamo.