It used to be that the opposition against the construction of the covered court in Antequera was characterized by media as a voice in the wilderness. The lone voice was that of Municipal Councillor Asterio Coquilla who battled tooth and nail, all by himself, against the powers-that-be in the town led by Mayor Mario Pahang and his backers of majority members of the Sangguniang Bayan headed by V-Mayor Lilioso Nunag. But Coquilaa is no longer all by his lonesome in his fight to obstruct the construction of the project in the town center. He was joined recently by a group of prominent personalities who traced their roots to this landlocked town, known as Bohol’s basket capital. The new faces in the fight against the Antequera Multi-Purpose Center are lawyers Artemio Villas and Lucas Nunag, Jr., Engr. Nestor Aleria, Archts. Perpetuo Arambala and Hector Balonda, Avelino Namoc, Dr. Cirilo Jalad, Rev. Jeremias Jadulco, Quintin Hibaya, Dr. Hildegardo Labado, Jr., Msgr. Vicente Nunag III and Engr. Gildardo Jadulco.

In an apparent bid to bring their cause to a bigger arena, the group called a press conference last week at the JJ’s Seafood Village, this city. This time, they were joined by a US medical practitioner Dr. Beatriz Coquilla-Canete brandishing a signature sheet enjoining Antequeranhons from all over to abort the mayor’s plan to construct the Antequera Multi-Purpose Center. In her flier which she sought signatures from opposition groups, Dr. Canete said the project will obstruct the town’s only open space for the townsfolk to enjoy and relax. She also said the town plaza is part of the heritage of her forefathers adding that instead the town officials should improve and beautify the place instead of building a structure that will obstruct the view of the plaza.

MAYOR PAHANG REACTS

As expected, Mayor Pahang reacted to the claims of the project’s critics. He suspected politics to be behind the “noise” raised against the plan to construct a covered court in the town particularly between the public market and the town hall. In an exclusive interview, the mayor said, the plan has been well considered and favorably indorsed by majority of the people of Antequera and most of the officials and SB members except one, referring to last termer Kagawad Coquilla. He said that the covered court will serve well his constituents because it is a multi-purpose center for cultural shows, sports events adding that the old-fashioned market day on Sunday is still business as usual. The building he said, is not like a gymnasium because based on the plan it has no walls and therefore well ventilated. Based on the plan, the building construction started sometime in June 2011 with some concrete posts already erected as implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) through Yu Construction. He said that the fund amounting to a total of P7 million for the building comes from Cong. Rene Relampagos. (With reports from RVO)