Barili mayor, vice mayor fight over SB secretary

CEBU, Philippines - Barili Mayor Teresito Mariñas and Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Nemeño, both of Liberal Party, are now fighting against each other over the appointment of a Sangguniang Bayan secretary.

Mariñas reportedly wanted his brother, Aniceto, to be appointed SB secretary following the recommendation of the Personnel Selection Board on October 6, 2015.

 However, Nemeño has appointed another person to the position. The vice mayor instead appointed Catherine Candilada. The appointment was confirmed by the Municipal Council on November 4, 2015.

 The next day, Mariñas ordered Alma Tigley, the designated human resource management officer, to hold in abeyance the processing of Candilada’s appointment pending review of the minutes of the October 6 PSB conference and the November 4 council session.

On November 6, Nemeño also ordered Tigley to prepare the appointment of Candilada as SB secretary.

 “Your refusal to comply with this memorandum will subject you to insubordination. Any attempt to defer the issuance of the appointment will be grave abuse of authority,” read Nemeño’s memorandum.

On November 9, Mariñas returned the resolution confirming the appointment of Candilada without his signature.

 He alleged that a number of councilors told him that it was not properly ventilated because their pleas to vote on the on the matter were not heard.

Mariñas said Nemeño has already accepted the endorsement of the PSB for the appointment of Aniceto to the position and even ordered the candidate to act as SB secretary for the October 21 and 28, 2015 regular sessions en route to the final confirmation and appointment on November 4, 2015 as calendared.

“This breach of gentleman’s understanding is humiliating for the candidate, an innocent bystander of some conflict elsewhere; he should never been accepted and to sit as Acting Secretary in the first place. The privilege of discretion could neither be used as a tool for revenge nor degrade a candidate. The act is so tainted with cruelty and retribution beyond the territory of the selection process,” read Mariñas letter dated November 9, 2015 to the council.

On the same date, Nemeño sent a reply-letter to Mariñas refuting the latter’s allegations and assailed his discretionary power to appoint the SB secretary.

 Nemeño told Mariñas that they submitted the resolution to the mayor out of courtesy since it is not subject of his approval nor a subject of his veto since the power to appoint SB secretary is solely vested on the vice mayor.

 He said the recommendation of the PSB to appoint Aniceto “may or may not” be considered by the appointing authority.

 Nemeño also explained that when Aniceto sat down during the October 21 session was to witness how sessions are conducted and he was not clothed with an appointment or designation.

 “Remember the case of Mayor Nelson Garcia which caused his suspension. You are encroaching on my power. Nobody can force me to appoint your brother as long as my appointee meets the qualifications in consonance with Civil Service laws,” Nemeño warned.

Garcia of One Cebu Party was suspended for six months by the LP-dominated Provincial Board after Vice Mayor Efren Guntrano Gica filed administrative complaint against him over the appointment of SB secretary in Dumanjug.   (FREEMAN)