Talisay SP OKs JVR daughter employment

CEBU, Philippines - The Talisay City council yesterday approved Mayor Johnny Delos Reyes’s request to employ his daughter as consultant as well as pharmacist of the city’s Indigent Pharmacy but only after city legal officer Alfredo Sipalay said there were no legal obstacles that stand in the way of Johnson Joy R. Pagunsan. 

“There are no legal obstacles that would prevent Mrs. Delos Reyes-Pagunsan from being employed as a consultant of the city,” Sipalay said in his two-page legal opinion submitted to the city council. 

Pagunsan’s approval was deferred for a week as consultant as the city council sought an opinion from the city legal office with regard to nepotism and illegality. 

Councilor Edward Alesna, proponent of the resolution, said after hearing the city legal office’s opinion, he had no choice but to support Pagunsan’s employment. 

Sipalay said it is common practice even at the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals to hire close relatives as confidential-capacity employees and as consultants. 

Pagunsan, who is a licensed pharmacist, will work for six months. 

Sipalay cited Pablo Garcia when he was still governor from 1995 to 2004, which his daughter Gwendolyn Garcia and his son, Nelson, worked as consultants. 

When Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia was governor, Sipalay pointed out that she hired her brothers Pablo John and Byron as her consultants. 

Sipalay said exempted from the operation of the rules on nepotism are persons employed in confidential capacity, teachers, physicians, and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 

Sipalay cited the Omnibus Rules on Appointment and Other Personnel Actions in the Omnibus Civil Service Rules that the nepotism rule covers all kinds of appointments whether original, promotional, transfer, and re-employment regardless of status including casuals and contractual workers, except consultants.

“Consultants are among those exempted from the rules on nepotism,” Sipalay said. 

Separately, Delos Reyes welcomes the decision made by the city council. 

The mayor said he will only install his daughter as pharmacist/consultant temporarily until the city can hire a permanent pharmacist to attend to the Indigent Pharmacy. Delos Reyes said he needs a registered pharmacist for the job because they might be questioned by the Food and Drugs Administration if they will hire a non-pharmacist to man the pharmacy. 

The mayor temporarily stopped the Indigent Pharmacy’s operation pending the approval of the hiring of a consultant pharmacist. 

On the other hand, city administrator John Yre delos Reyes said he was taken aback when the city council deferred the approval of the appointment of his sister as the mayor’s consultant last week.

“Natingala ko nga ilang gi-hold kay mangayo pa og legal opinion kay basin kuno maigo sa rules on nepotism. Based on an appropriate example, pag-hire nako, confidential in nature baya ko. Gi-approve man nila akong appointment so wa diay maigo sa nepotism rules. Now, nganong nausab man ilang opinion with Joy,” Delos Reyes said.

Delos Reyes clarified that the appointment of his sister is only as a consultant and not as permanent employee, hence it is not covered by the nepotism rule as dictated by the Civil Service Commission.

The city administrator said Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante and some councilors tried to derail the “good plans” of Mayor Johnny V. Delos Reyes.

A consultant earns P15,000 per month, and according to Delos Reyes it is a pittance to what his sister should be getting if she practices her profession at a private pharmacy, but instead she opted to help their father run the city’s “Indigent Pharmacy” full-time.

Delos Reyes said because of “politicking” the services of the pharmacy was shutdown, as it could not operate without a pharmacist.

“Daghan niari sa akong opisina nangutana nganong sirado ang pharmacy. Asa na lang kuno sila mangayo og libreng tambal. Maayo unta sa gibuhat sa atong vice mayor ug mga konsehal, sila lang sa unta mohatag og mga tambal sa mga kabus,” he said.

The law is so easy to understand, he said.

“Simple nga balaud, di sila kasabot. Nganung mangayo pa man sila og justification? Klaro naman kaayo na ang naa sa balaud nga wa naigo sa nepotism. Nahug hinuon ni nga wa sila’y alamag,” he said.

The appointment reportedly was supposed to have been approved last week, but according to Delos Reyes, quoting a text message sent to him by a city councilor he refused to name, the councilor was supposed to have the appointment approved by the council last week, but he was reportedly threatened by Villarante and Councilor Choy Aznar.

“Si Villarante ug Aznar maoy ni-question nako sir ngano akong ipasar kay tungod sa niphotism (sic).. ako jud ipasar pero sila man ang sige’g ingon nga basta ipasar na nimo apil ka sa ombudsman,” said the councilor. – (FREEMAN)