PALO, Leyte – Nearly 10 months after submitting nominations, the Regional Development Council (RDC) in Eastern Visayas still wait for the appointment of a new RDC chair that will lead the region’s highest policy-making body until 2016. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Bonifacio Uy, acting RDC chairman, is clueless as to when the appointment will be issued by the Malacanang. “We’re hoping that the decision will come out soon. I believe that the administration is working on it. It’s just difficult to speculate when,” Uy said. On August 22, 2013, the body nominated Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla, Baybay City Mayor Carmen Cari and Northern Samar Governor Jose Ong as possible chair of the RDC. Under Executive Order No. 325, qualified to head the RDC as chair and co-chair are the provincial governors, mayors of capital towns and cities, presidents of league of municipalities in six provinces, and private sector representatives (PSR). According to rules, Petilla is not legible to head the body considering that she’s not anymore the president of League of Municipalities in Leyte and Palo is not a capital town. However, the lady mayor, insisted in earlier interviews that the league permanently assigned her as the representative to the RDC after its president Javier, Leyte Mayor Leonardo Javier was elected as the league’s national president. The RDC chairmanship in Eastern Visayas has been vacated since November 2012 when President Aquino appointed then governor Carlos Jericho Petilla as Energy Secretary. RDC co-chairman Tiburcio Morales also resigned late 2012. On May 16, President Benigno Aquino appointed new RDC chairpersons Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo Del Rosario (Region 11), Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado (Region 3), Albay Gov. Joey Salceda (Region 5), Bohol Gov. Edgardo Chatto (Region 7) and Surigao del Norte Gov. Sol Matugas (Region 13). (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)
