Carmen councilor won't quit council

Carmen councilor Gerard Villamor has denied reports that he will leave the town council, saying that he would only quit his post as the majority floor leader of the Sangguniang Bayan.

Villamor skipped yesterday's session of the council to give his colleagues a free deliberation over his resignation, only sending a letter of apology to his fellow councilors for bringing the matter to the media instead of discussing it with them.

In his letter, Villamor said that he was misquoted twice by the media reports that he would resign as councilor, saying that he has no intention to leave the council but only wants to quit as its majority floor leader.

Municipal secretary Reynaldo de Dios said the council failed to act on Villamor's resignation but decided to create an adhoc committee to look into the allegations that he had altered the original contract signed between former town Mayor Amytis Batao and Ayala Corp. president Fernando Zobel de Ayala in 2002.

Villamor's resignation as majority floor leader was in protest against De Dios' continued stay as municipal secretary. He wanted De Dios to be transferred to another office because of the allegations.

The contract authorizes Ayala to extract water from Carmen and deliver it to the Metro Cebu Water District.

De Dios, for his part, said that he was glad with the turn of events because he is also entitled to a due process, as he did not lobby for the council to defend him.

He said he would immediately leave his post should he be proven guilty of the allegations hurled by Villamor. De Dios earlier challenged Villamor, who is his cousin, to file a complaint against him before the council.

Before serving as municipal secretary for the past 12 years, De Dios was a municipal councilor. - Flor Z. Perolina