THE Commonwealth Ports Authority board members are opposed to major provisions in the measure which seeks to change the composition of government boards.
The CPA board noted the proposed veto power that would be given to Attorney General’s Office over boards.
CPA legal counsel Jose Dela Cruz said the bill would allow AGO to review professional services hired by the board.
The bill also proposes to require boards to submit quarterly reports.
Board members, who work on a voluntary basis, said preparing reports would require full time personnel and considerable time.
They said an annual report is enough to keep track of the board’s performance.
Under the bill, travels of board members would need approval from the Office of the Governor. The number of board members would also be reduced from seven to five.
The presence of three members, instead of four, would constitute a quorum.
“This bill should be reviewed seriously because it would have a bad effect on the board,” CPA board member Ray Cing said.
“I understand that the governor wants to put his own people. But appointing all members at the same time would have a serious effect on the board. Perhaps we could come up with better ways regarding the term and method of appointment,” board member Prudencio Manglona said.
A board is usually composed of seven members with different expiration of terms.
The Marianas Visitors Authority is also opposing the bill’s passage, saying it would have a detrimental effect on the agency’s operations.
MVA said it should be exempted from the proposed law because its mandate requires close partnership with the private sector.
