Zamboanga del Sur provincial Governor Aurora Cerilles, left, and Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co.
PAGADIAN CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 7, 2010) - Zamboanga del Sur Governor Aurora Cerilles dismissed as politically motivated the publication of a survey conducted by the National Statistical Coordination Board which listed her province as among the 10 worst-governed in the country.
Cerilles, a Lakas party stalwart and key supporter of the administration presidential bet Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said the reports maybe influenced by the political opposition out to destroy control of the administration party over its bailiwicks.
“It could be possible that the publication of the survey is politically motivated,” Cerilles said at a recent press conference in Pagadian City.
But Cerilles declined to name the political party which supposedly is behind the negative campaign against administration officials.
Cerilles said the survey putting the governance index of Zamboanga del Sur as bad is a status of her early administration period while the province is still recovering.
“This is not true today, in fact our province is considered as rice granary of the country,” she said, adding, her economic agenda has benefited both urban and rural locals' lives in the province.
Cerilles said her achievements, awards received and the development she brought in the province all disproved the issue. She said infrastructure project such as roads, livelihood programs and economic enterprises, were proofs of her governance.
Cerilles said she has changed the shape of the province during her nine years as governor.
“Social services such as health, education, among others have been implemented reducing marginalized sectors,” she said. “We call you people from the media with the purpose to help us correct the issue and let them know they are wrong.”
Zamboanga del Sur Representative Antonio Cerilles, the governor’s husband, also questioned the release of the NSCB data, saying, it was wrong timing because elections are forthcoming. “It's wrong timing and there's malice in it,” he said.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer also quoted Cerilles as saying: “This Dr. Virola needs to expound on the issue … he needs to explain the 2005 survey in a 2009 or 2010 situation. I don't really understand why he used the 2005 survey when today is 2010. What happened from 2006 to 2009?”
On the other hand, Arturo Valero, regional director of National Economic and Development Authority 9, said NSCB is not a data generator, but statistical coordinator that measures performances as bases for making policies.
“The outcome of a study may explain the poverty incidence, security status and leadership capacity as indicators of governance which is tagged as “worst-governed or best-governed” depending on the data gathered, Valero told Mindanao Examiner. (Becky de Asis)
