WORKING IN HARMONY. North Cotabato Governor Nancy Catamco (right) and Vice Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza are in a huddle after the latter relinquished her post as acting governor after Catamco served her 90-day suspension since Oct. 21, 2019. Catamco returned to official work as governor on Nov. 21, 2019. (Photo courtesy of Morgan Mosaid of Pikit, North Cotabato)
KIDAPAWAN CITY – North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza has peacefully relinquished her position as acting governor to Governor Nancy Catamco who returned to office on November 21 after serving her 90-day suspension by the Sandiganbayan.
“I am respectfully relinquishing all functions of a provincial governor, as well as chairmanships in the different committees and special bodies.” Mendoza who served as acting governor for 90 days, said in a statement Thursday.
Mendoza, the presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board), has assured every Cotabateño that she and the provincial legislators would continue to perform their legislative functions with integrity, transparency, and accountability.
Her last official function was to lead provincial officials in the turnover of the 63 villages in the province that opted to join the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
When Mendoza assumed acting governor following Catamco’s suspension for graft on August 23, senior Board Member Shirlyn Macasarte-Villanueva assumed office as acting vice governor.
“Acting vice governor, now signing off,” Villanueva said in a separate statement as she also stepped down as acting vice governor.
She added that it has been an honor and privilege to have served the province as acting vice governor.
Villanueva was designated in a concurrent position as the provincial chief incident management team head following the series of earthquakes that rocked the province.
She was tasked to manage disaster response to displaced families and even joined the rescue of trapped civilians in Buena Vida, Makilala with the help of Philippine Air Force choppers. (PNA)
