JVR son rejects Soc’s allegations

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City administrator John Yre Delos Reyes has rejected former  mayor and now Councilor Socrates Fernandez’s allegations that Mayor Johnny Delos Reyes is a liar and having no word of honor.

“Way katungod moingun siya ana. Asa man dapita? Basin siya namakak. Kay siya baya’y niuna’g horar sa LP (Liberal Party, the party of  JVR), ‘nya later on naa ra diay siya sa Alayon,” the city administrator said.

Delos Reyes, the eldest son of JVR, said if Fernandez had tolerated the employment of  more  than 2,000 job order (JO) workers when he was mayor, JVR is doing his best to reduce the number so that the city could  implement  other projects that would be more beneficial to the people.

He said the Commission on Audit admonished Fernandez when he was still mayor for employing 800 job order workers, a number which tripled before he exited in May last year.

Delos Reyes said JVR had slashed the number from 2,100 to 1,500, “and it will stay that way, or will reduce it further if the situation calls for it.”

When he assumed office in July last year, JVR gave councilors who are allied with him the privilege to hire people.

After winning in elections, councilors typically reward their supporters with jobs at City Hall.

The number of job order workers has swelled to more than 2,000, costing the city at least P12 million per month in salaries for these workers alone.

For a city that runs on P629-million budget, a P150 million allocation for the salaries of these workers could make a dent in the budget.

For this reason, JVR vetoed a portion of the section of the Budget Ordinance.

The councilors, who drafted the ordinance, also included an exact amount for the workers and the council approved the annual budget only after the opposition bloc, which forms the majority, bargained with JVR, who reportedly promised to retain their quotas.

There are 11 councilors in the present council which includes the ex-officio member, the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president, or a total of 650 job order workers (including Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante’s 100), which means the city needs P3.9 million in funds to support their salaries.

“In order not to place too much burden on our constituents, I hereby veto this particular section of the ordinance,” said JVR in his note to the Budget Ordinance submitted to his office.

“Councilor Soc insisted nga naa sila’y katungod mo-hire og JO. Nalimot na siya katong nahimo siyang mayor, vice mayor ug  konsehal nga trabaho na sa mayor,” he said.

“Dili siya mag-ingun ana pagstorya sa mayor. Possible naanad siya sa una nga mayor siya. Karon konsehal na siya,” he said.

The other day, Alayon councilors; Fernandez, Dory Emit, Jojo Bacaltos, and Choy Aznar visited the mayor to ask him to withdraw his veto, otherwise they would override it.

But John Yre said the mayor has already made up his mind, and if the Alayon councilors would want to override the veto, they could try it, if they have the number.

The opposition bloc may form the majority but after Alayon Councilor Dennis Basillote jumped over to JVR’s camp late last year, the opposition is now down to seven members.

Alayon needs two thirds of the entire council or eight councilors to override the mayor’s veto.

“Sa decision sa mayor, millions ang ma-save sa syudad. Magamit ni sa laing mga projects. Pero they don’t see that. Pamulitika gyud ni’ng ilaha. Karon hulgaon nila nga lisud-lisuron nila si mayor.

Katungod na nila nga lisud-lisuron ang mayor. No question about that. But they have to remember, kung ila na’ng buhaton, dili ang mayor ilang gibabagan, ang mga tawo.

“Basin gatuo sila nga wa gatan-aw ang katawhan kung ilang lisud-lisuron ang mayor,” Delos Reyes said. (FREEMAN)