originally posted @ http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/bansalan-mayor-shuts-down-vms-rice-mill
By Orlando Dinoy
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THE 2010 election reached its fever pitch in Bansalan, Davao del Sur after two of its highest elected officials almost had a fistfight Thursday morning.
The altercation started when Mayor Edwin Reyes padlocked the rice mill of Vice Mayor Peter Melchor Arches at Sitio Curbada in Barangay Poblacion, Bansalan. The rice mill reportedly did not have a building permit.
Sun.Star Superbalita witnessed the exchange of heated words after Arches, formerly the town mayor, stopped employees of the business bureau from padlocking the rice mill.
Arches insisted he had been paying as much as P3 million in taxes to the Municipal Government.
"Kabalo ko politika ang hinungdan ani kay mobalik ko pagdagan og mayor unya di man na siya kadaog nako ba bisan og mag-eleksyon dayon kay daghan ang nasuko niya (I know this is politically motivated because I am seeking the mayoralty post in 2010. He knows he will not win if I run against him since a lot of people dislike him)," Arches claimed.
But Reyes said he ordered the shutting of Arches' rice mill "because (the vice mayor) abused his authority during his term as mayor."
Reyes accused Arhes of signing his own business permit as well as that of the Municipal Engineer's Office.
Arches admitted that his second rice mill does not have any building permit because the mayor's office and the business bureau have been delaying its release.
Reyes said he is against the construction of the rice mill "because it is within an agricultural land," a violation of the province's zoning ordinance. He said it was built when Arches was "still in power and used his influence."
"Naa man daghan diha, gani ang mga industrial katapad gyud sa mga balay pero ngano ako iya initan tungod ba kay nasirad-an na iyang ubang mga negosyo? (There is a lot of business establishments located in residential areas. Why does he have to pick on me? Is this because his other businesses have gone bankrupt?)," Arches said.
Reyes laughed off such accusation and said that he has filed a case of abuse of authority against his vice mayor before the Ombudsman Mindanao.
"Di man nako madali kay ginalangay-langay ang mga dokumento unya di sab lalim ang proseso. Harassment ni iyang gihimo sa ako, nawad-an og trabaho ang 200 nako ka mga tawo, operator ug uban pa, di na moboto niya (It is not my fault if the documents were not released. This is harassment, 200 of my employees lost their jobs. These people will not vote for him)," Arches countered.Tension was high as municipal employees forcibly padlocked the rice mill which could have ended in fistfight if municipal engineer Narciso Batingal did not intercede.
Arches agreed to closing down the rice mill.
