Barely two months before the plebiscite, Palawan Governor Jose Chavez Alvarez is expecting that Palaweños will favor the controversial 3-in-1 Palawan, dismissing notions and attacks on how they are popularizing the division and welcoming those who oppose the plan.
During the “Pakimanan Ta Si Gob” last Februrary 28 at the Provincial Capitol, Alvarez answered all issues concerning the incoming plebiscite slated on May 11 to which the provincial government already released P80 million to Commission on Elections for the manual voting.
He first addressed the pastoral letter coming from Northern Palawan telling the governor that the division will not support barangays due to cut off funding, to which the capitol will receive it in order to implement the said 3-in-1 province. The governor assured that it is not true and putting up capitol in Taytay is a long dream of the municipality.
“Doon sa pastoral letter na ginawa ng isang bishop dun sa Norte, kasi kasinungalingan yung nasa pastoral letter, kung ang simbahan magsabi tungkol sa Bibliya siguro 99% maniwala pa ako, pero ini-interpret nila yung batas na wala silang alam. Huwag kayong mag interpret ng batas na wala kayong alam, magtanong muna kayo sa mga gumawa ng batas,” Alvarez said.
The governor further went on addressing those non-government organizations that criticizing how the PGP campaigns for the incoming plebiscite.
“Yung pondo na tinatanggap nila sa mga foreign funder nila yun din ang gamitin nila, kasi kailangan mag ingay yan sila para padalhan sila ng European Union or sa UNDP. Yun gamitin nila di kami magre-rereklamo, yung pag ikot namin is to inform the electorate kung anu ang mangyayari sa plebisito, wala kaming sinabing oh etu yung tatlong kilong bigas boto nyo yung yes, wala kaming sinabing ganun,. Ang pinaliwanag lang namin kung anu yung laman ng batas,” Alvarez explained.
Many of his online critics Alvarez said are those Palaweños who no longer live here, and many of them are not even eligible to participate in the said election.
“Wala tong pilitan. Kung mag no kayo sige walang problema, ang problema sa karamihan ng no ay hindi man sila makaboto, wala man sila legal standing. Sila man yung unang umalis sa probinsya, batikos sila ng batikos, ok lang yan, salita kayo ng salita. If it doesn’t hurt, if it’s not true; [it] will not hurt me, sorry maubos na lang laway nyo hindi ako maapekto sa paninira nyo. What I believe is right I will do it,” Allvarez said.
Alvarez also answered long speculation that it is his agenda to put all Alvarezes in position once the division push through. Some critics believed that he is building dynasty from north to south mostly from the family members of Alvarez.
“Sa norte malamang meron kasi dati ng meron. Sa Sur ako lang dapat, siguro mag mayor na lang ako ng Brooke’s Point, kasi kung mayor ako ng Brookes Point, marami pa ring ko-konsulta sa akin. Oh di kaya, vice governor, pagkatapos after 1 year pa-resign ko yung governor ko. Oh di, governor uli ako. Ang daming paraan, wala yun sa agenda. Ang akin lang makaserbisyo lang ako ng 9 years tama na ‘yun,” Alvarez added.
The governor also proud to report that the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the province will reach up to P6 billion in the coming years, and Palawan alone is contributing 60% of MIMAROPA economy.
“Nakita nyo naman improvement sa Palawan when I took over 2013, ang gross domestic product is munus 1%. Now, Palawan contributes 60% of the total MIMAROPA economy, which rates all time high MIMAROPA 8.9% GDP. Nakita naman ninyo sa dami ng sasakyan ngayon, ano ibig sabihin noon, dito po nagko-kompulan ang maraming pera lalo na sa 2022,” he added.
Alvarez emphasized that this plan will benefit the people of the province and not the City because they have their own IRA.
“Ako po ay nanawagan na gumawa kayo ng magandang desisyon dito sa 3-in-1, dahil itong 3-in-1 ay hindi para sa mga taga Puerto. Ito po ay para sa probinsya lamang,” Alvarez said in closing.
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