Gov. Chiongkee: “Mining firms should pay excise taxes to host LGUs”

Sept. 30-Oct. 6, 2010

Compostela Valley Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy has stressed anew that the constant interest of the Compostela Valley provincial government with regards to Diwalwal mining has been aimed at getting more taxes to benefit the Comvalenyos even as he called on the national government to always include local governments and officials in coming up national decisions for the good of the Diwalwal mining area.

In an interview with the Valley & City Chronicle, he said that particular and immediate flashpoint issue arises when portions of the mining area are bidded out without the provincial and local governments getting shares of excise taxes from mining production.

He added it would not certainly sit well with local governments when winning big mining companies just directly mine Diwalwal and only pay and repatriate tax payments in Manila without the host province getting even a single centavo of excise tax earning.

Likewise, he said that even in the area of addressing social problems in the province’s mining areas “the national government should always include us” as shunting the local miners out from decisions and resolutions that affect them “would have them again agitated”.

Last year, the governor already lamented over that while mining firms have been earning from the province’s natural resources, they have been paying excise taxes directly to the national government.

Earlier, Diwalwal miners have been e stirred anew over the bidding issue involving both the areas above and below the 600 above sea level as pushed by the Philippine Mining Development Corporation which manages the Diwalwal mining area. (Rural Urban News/Cha Monforte)

 

 

Filed under: Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy, Governor Arturo Uy

NEWS: Ramil “unofficially heeded” not to run for Congress- Gov. Uy

april 24

Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy said yesterday that Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya the other day “unofficially heeded” his call to seek reelection than run against Boardmember Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay, who like Gentugaya has long been declaring her plan to run for the District 1 congressional post comes 2010.

In a phone interview, the governor bared that he talked with Gentugaya on Wednesday at the Capitol on the matter, and on the same day Apsay and Gentugaya also talked in separate venue and “they agreed”.

Uy said that Gentugaya “unofficially heeded” his call of not running against Apsay even as the Lakas provincial directorate has not yet convened to decide on who of the two congressional hopefuls would become the Lakas standard bearer.

Apsay is the daughter of last-termer Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora .

The governor said that he was asking Gentugaya for it saying that he “could not find someone who is fit to fill on his shoes as a good vice governor”.

Uy also said that he sent a text message to Gentugaya the other night on the latter’s plan after the agreement to which Gentugaya replied that he would be informing his family on the matter.

“The vice governor has yet to make his official press release or pronouncement next week,” Uy said.

“The Lakas provincial directorate is scheduled to convene on the second week of May,” he said adding that Gentugaya could still pursue his aspiration for official action of the party directorate but with the agreement between the two parties the issue might have already become moot and academic.

Meanwhile, sources said that the former Congressman Roger M. Sarmiento (RMS) had called his former youth members under the YOURS organization for a meeting before the last Holy Week triggering speculations that RMS is running for a comeback for Congress.

“The knew them to be YOURS members as they happened to be my neighbors and I heard that they were called by RMS,” said New Bataan Councilor Billy Capuyan.

YOURS means Youth Organization United for Roger Sarmiento.

In 2001 elections Sarmiento picked Cong. Way Kurat Zamora to replace him after Sarmiento’s first- term as congressman as the latter ran but lost in the gubernatorial fight with former Gov. Jose Caballero, who was then running for his reelection for a second term.  (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Filed under: vice governor ramil gentugaya, Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy, Boardmember Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay, Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, former Congressman Roger M. Sarmiento (RMS), New Bataan Councilor Billy Capuyan, vice governor ramil gentugaya, Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy, Boardmember Maria Carmen Zamora-Apsay, Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, former Congressman Roger M. Sarmiento (RMS), New Bataan Councilor Billy Capuyan