TCC president loses salary starting this month

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City College (TCC) President Ritchel Bacaltos will no longer be receiving his salary from the city government effective this month.

"The Talisay City government has no more obligation to him," said city legal officer Alfredo Sipalay as Mayor Johnny De los Reyes put an end on his contract in running the city's college as its president. Under the contract, Bacaltos is receiving P43,000 a month.

Last week, De los Reyes appointed former Mandaue City College president Paulus Cañete as the new president of TCC under an executive order, a move which Bacaltos vehemently slammed.

Sipalay said the city will not acknowledge any transactions entered into by Bacaltos.

But in a separate interview with the reporters yesterday, Bacaltos insisted that he remains to be the president of the city college citing that the installation of Cañete is "illegal."

"What the mayor is doing now is illegal. The governing body of the city college is the Board of Trustees and not the mayor himself or any executive order," Bacaltos said as he urged the mayor to convene the BOT to finally put an end to the issue.

Bacaltos maintained that under his contract, he should be given notice 30 days before the new appointment should take effect.

Bacaltos said they will be filing a case today before the Palace of Justice questioning the installation of Cañete.

Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante, also an ally of  the mayor, said the installation of Cañete is illegal because it did not follow the process of requiring the BOT to pass a resolution that the service of Bacaltos was no longer needed and that he would be replaced.

De los Reyes, as the mayor, sits as the chairman of  BOT.  (FREEMAN)