Palawan Gov. Ibrahim Mitra has five days to reply to the comment of Kilusang Love Malampaya (KLM), the group petitioning for his recall, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) decided in a special en banc session held Monday.
The Comelec has given Mitra’s lawyers five days to submit a memorandum so that the poll body can decide on whether to hold recall elections to remove him from the post he was elected to.
The Comelec has already found the petition for recall sufficient in form and substance, but Mitra filed a motion for reconsideration.
The KLM, led by its president Caesar R. Ventura, filed the petition to recall Mitra last Sept. 15 for “loss of trust and confidence” alleging that the governor had committed “gross violation of pertinent provisions of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act,” and even “incompetence, anti-environment policies and other related gross inexcusable negligence/ dereliction of duty, intellectual dishonesty and emotional immaturity.”
The KLM has scored Mitra for “keeping silent on the murder of respected journalist, anti-corruption crusader and environmentalist Dr. Gerry V. Ortega,” claiming that Mitra had even resorted to “defending the accused mastermind and his political ally, former Governor Joel Reyes.”
Ventura’s group also lamented that the incumbent governor had not pursued “an investigation of the misuse of some P2.1 billion in Malampaya funds, P500 million of which went to his district.”
“Governor Bahram continues to remain silent on the alleged misuse of Malampaya funds even after receiving a copy of the COA report detailing the plunder of said funds,” they added.
The KLM also alleged that Mitra had done “nothing to reduce poverty in Palawan despite the billions in resources available for livelihood programs” and “nothing to address health care needs of Palaweños despite available resources.”
The group also blamed Mitra for failing to address the “lack of safe-water among Palaweños despite the availability of funds to harness available clean water from rivers and natural springs.”
The KLM submitted over 158,000 signatures for Mitra’s recall. Only 45,000 signatures are required to start recall elections against the governor.
In October last year, the Supreme Court dismissed with finality a previous recall petition filed against Mitra. — MRT/VS
