No major shake-up, same old faces at Prov’l Board
BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan – Expect a display of fireworks and speeches when the Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) opens its regular session on July.
It is 6-4 in favor of the administration camp minus lawyer-journalist Ronquillo Tolentino, who lost his vice gubernatorial reelection bid against former Cong. Gabrielle Calizo.
Kusog it Akean and Aklan Independent Movement – reelectionists Dr. Daisy Briones (Nacionalista Party) and Ramon Gelito (Liberal Party) are the “senior” opposition members.
Fiery former Akelco president Rodson Mayor (Nacionalista Party) and senior board member and retired police officer Nemesio Neron (Liberal Party) are certified crowd-drawers in the august body.
Old faces and reelectionists lawyer Plaridel Morania (Lakas-CMD) and Selywn Ibarreta (Liberal Party), Jose Yap (Lakas-CMD), Gerick Templonuevo (Lakas-CMD) and Pedro Garcia (Kampi) belong in the administration bloc, including former vice governor and SP-elect Jean Rodriquez (Kampi).
The “hot” issues mostly likely the opposition members would support are the controversial Akelco-Mirant deal, real property tax increases and the Economic Enterprise Development Department.
Adding color to an intense-debate in the floor are Association of Barangay Captains president Ananias Solina and Sangguniang Kabataan president Kaizan Fernandez.
Defeated SP member Franklin Quimpo (Liberal Party), president of Philippine Councilors League (PCL) Aklan is reportedly supporting the election bid of Malinao councilor-lawyer Wilbert Ariel Igoy (Lakas-CMD) for the outright SP seat.