Duterte vetoes bill declaring Ecleo Day in Dinagat Islands

President Rodrigo Duterte has vetoed the bill seeking to declare December 9 a special working holiday in Dinagat Islands in commemoration of the birth anniversary of Ruben Edera Ecleo Sr.

Ecleo was the founder of the religious group Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, Inc. (PBMA).

In a letter, dated October 30, sent to the Senate and read on Tuesday, Duterte said he was vetoing and returning to Congress without his signature House Bill 5554 for a lack of scholarly studies on Ecleo’s life.

“While due recognition is given to Ruben Edera Ecleo prominence in the Dinagat Islands, proper parameters must be observe in the declaration of special holidays,” the letter read.

“In this regard, it bears noting that according to the National Historical Commission, there is a lack of independent scholarly studies on the life of the proposed honoree which is a usual requirement for declaring holidays anchored on events of historical significance,” it added.

The bill was introduced by Dinagat Representatives Kaka Bag-ao and Marlyn Primicias-Agabas.

It declared Ecleo a local hero of the Dinagat province by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan “in recognition of his immense contribution to the province.”

The bill was approved in September.

Ecleo served as mayor of Dinagat for 24 years, from 1963 until his death on December 20, 1987. —NB, GMA News