Aklan provincial board withdraws persona non grata declaration vs 4 lawmakers
By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY – The Aklan provincial board formally withdrew a persona non grata declaration against four lawmakers over the proposal to create the Boracay Island Development Authority (BIDA), a corporate-based body that will manage the country’s most famous beach destination.

Provincial Board Member Jupiter Gallenero said a special session was held Tuesday, August 9, to withdraw a resolution issued Monday, August 8, declaring Camarines Sur Reps. Raymund “Lray” Villafuerte, Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata, and Miguel Luis Villafuerte, and Nicolas Enciso lll of Bicol Saro party-list as persona non grata for initially sponsoring another new bill for BIDA.
However, the four congressmen had already withdrawn House Bill No. 1085 as early as August 3.
They withdrew the bill after Aklan Reps. Ted Haresco Jr. and Carlito Marquez intervened.
Haresco has already reached out to the provincial board prior to its August 8 declaration against the four lawmakers.
While the persona non-grata has been withdrawn, Haresco considered the move of the Aklan provincial board as “unethical, grave misconduct, and gross abuse of authority.”
Aklan officials have vehemently opposed BIDA which was pushed after the Duterte administration’s massive rehabilitation of the country’s most famous destination in 2018.
Instead of a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), local officials are calling for the creation of a regulatory body to implement environmental laws.