Survey: Big Majority Favors Escolango Over Diño As SBMA Administrator

To a great majority of respondents, Lawyer Randy B. Escolango is the rightful Administrator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), an independent online survey initiated by Subic Bay News on its Facebook page has revealed.

Launched on October 30, 2016 designed for 1,000 respondents who can vote only once, the week-long survey showed 915 or 91.5 % believe Escolango has the proper authority to assume and perform the functions of the office of SBMA Administrator, albeit in an Officer-in-Charge capacity, while only 85 or 8.5 % favored Diño.

Many respondents who favored Escolango are from the Zambales – Olongapo – Subic Freeport area, with others come from the rest of Central Luzon and Metro-Manila. Most are from the business community and the professional sector. Respondents favoring Diño are mostly from Mindanao and the Visayas, coming from various sectors.

A few respondents, around 3% to 5% appear to have dubious accounts but, considering their small number, are insignificant because they could not affect the final results.

Below is the question posed in the survey:

Who is the rightful SBMA Administrator: Escolango or Diño?

The Administrator is the Chief Executive Officer who directly administers and supervises the operations and day-to-day business activities of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA). The Chairman’s functions are largely limited to presiding in all meetings of the SBMA Board that formulates policies, directives, plans and programs.

President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Martin B. Diño as Chairman, Board of Directors, SBMA on September 23, 2016 and he assumed office on Oct. 3 after a turn-over ceremony where former Chairman & Administrator Roberto V. Garcia announced he will be hold-over Administrator until a replacement is appointed. Apparently, Diño didn’t like the idea and on Oct. 10, declared himself also the SBMA Administrator aside from being Chairman, citing a provision in RA 7227, the law that created the SBMA and the Subic Bay Freeport.

Taking the cue that he is unwanted, Garcia filed an “irrevocable” resignation as Administrator which Malacañang accepted on October 19, 2016 and, apparently ignoring Diño’s declaration that he has assumed the position, Malacañang designated on the same day (Oct. 19, 2016) Lawyer Randy B. Escolango as Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Office of the Administrator, SBMA “In the exigency of service and to ensure uninterrupted delivery of public service…,”according to Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea.

With a mandate from Malacañang, Escolango immediately buckled down to work on all pending matters and transactions of the SBMA, only to be stalled by counter-orders by Diño who refuses to honor Escolango’s designation as Administrator. Diño has also threatened that SBMA officers and employees who will not follow his orders as Administrator will face suits or charges.

For the sake of SBMA, the employees, locators, investors, the surrounding communities and the country, who should already be performing the duties and functions of ADMINISTRATOR of SBMA?

Who is the current rightful SBMA Administrator?

You must select exactly 2 options.

Atty. Randy B. Escolango

Martin B. Diño

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