By MAE SINGUAY
BACOLOD City — Defying Mayor Monico Puentevella’s order banning them from Bacolod City Water District’s (Baciwa) premises, three directors went to the water district yesterday to hold a meeting.
Board of Directors’ chair Lawrence Villanueva, vice chair Lorendo Dilag and secretary Marichi Ramos also appointed an “outsider” to temporarily take the general manager post following Juliana Carbon’s suspension.
Invoking his being the appointing authority of the directors, Puentevella on Monday banned all directors from Baciwa’s premises amid the “messy” power play at the water district.
At about 12 noon yesterday, three private vehicles entered the Baciwa compound.
Onboard the vehicles were Villanueva, Dilag and Ramos, and lawyers Roger Reyes and Leo Ervin Sedonio. They went straight to the boardroom.
Ramos told Panay News in a text message past 3 p.m. yesterday that they were having a meeting. She did not disclose the agenda.
It was later learned that they appointed Dr. Darwin Destacamento, former manager of Philippine National Bank–Kabankalan, as officer-in-charge general manager.
Destacamento, who was in no way connected with Baciwa, will serve the post until the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) appoints an interim general manager.
His appointment was stated in Board Resolution No. 178. He took his oath of office yesterday.
Puentevella earlier requested LWUA to take over Baciwa. Two LWUA officers — Ed De Mayo and Eric Gita — went to Baciwa Wednesday to investigate the water district’s problems.
A policeman detailed at Baciwa said they did not bar the directors’ vehicles because there was no such order from their superiors.
A security guard of Baciwa also allowed the directors to enter in the absence of an order from their superiors.
Both the policeman and the security guard requested anonymity.
Puentevella announced the ban after meeting with Carbon, directors Cecilia Henares and Maida Torre, and some employees’ union members.
The City Council on Wednesday approved a resolution requesting LWUA administrator Andres Ibarra to settle the issue on Carbon’s suspension.
Councilors Wilson Gamboa Jr. and Alex Paglumotan authored the resolution./PN
