Dad calls for careful spending

CEBU, Philippines- A Talisay City councilor wants the Council to frugally use its Legislative Funds especially now that the city’s running on a limited budget.

“Ang funds unta gamiton ra para sa Talisay ug mga Talisaynon kay mao man nay among giaprubahan kay hilabi na karon nga nagnihit na ang kwarta sa syudad,” said Councilor Dennis Basillote.

Basillote’s statement came after the councilors themselves decided to use the P7-million fund of the Legislative department to hire job order workers. The third-term councilor admitted that each of them will get six JOs who will start working on March 1 and who will be paid using the P7 million.

The council, he said, decided to use to the funds after Mayor Johnny V. de los Reyes stripped nine councilors and Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante of their JO quota after they reduced the P1-billion annual budget to P539 million. At the time, each councilor had 25 JOs while Villarante had 100.

De los Reyes in an earlier interview said the purpose of slashing the JOs from more than 1,000 last year to around 300 is to save millions spent for salaries, which is important since the city is running on a tight budget after the council junked almost half of what he had proposed.

Basillote said although they in the council have mutually approved to use the P7 million funds, the councilors must also not forget that a JO’s job is mainly to serve the city and its people

This statement came after it was reported that there are JOs hired by Alayon Councilors to do surveys for the said political camp and collect information from the residents for its own use.

“Ingon ana man gyud na’ng Alayon, mao nana na ang practice nila sa una pa,” said Basillote who was once with Alayon.

“Sa una wa gyuy ni-question ana kay puro man Alayon, mas grabe kaniadto hilabi na panahon sa summer job, gigamit na sila’g pag-survey,” he added.

Basillote said that although he wants the practice to stop he said he and his only ally, fellow Liberal Party Councilor Val Ylanan, will still be outnumbered like what happened when they voted against the slashed annual budget.  (FREEMAN)