Villarante cries foul over JO cut

CEBU, Philippines -  Talisay City Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante is in quandary why Mayor Johnny De los Reyes slashed down the number of job order employees allocated to his office. 

“I really don’t know why he slashed down my job order employees allocation,” Villarante said, adding that only he learned it when his staff informed him that the mayor issued an executive order that the Office of the Vice Mayor’s 100 job order allocation employees were already slashed down by only two. 

Villarante said he believed that he got the ire from the mayor because he was blamed and allegedly accused of behind in blocking the construction of the three-story Tabunok public market. 

“I think the mayor doesn’t know what he was doing. Klaro naman kaayo nga ang iyang gihimo nga retaliation. I am just hoping that what he is doing is legal,” Villarante said as he explained that he could not vote as he was the presiding officer and is only allowed to cast his choice to break ties.

De Los Reyes accused Villarante, who also belongs to the Liberal Party and was the runningmate of the mayor in 2013 election, of not supportive of his administration. 

Aside from Villarante, all the seven Alayon-dominated council members job order personnel allocation were also slashed in number. 

Councilors Richard Francis Aznar, Socrates Fernandez, Edward Alesna, Doroteo Emit, Raul Cabañero, Antonio Bacaltos and Eduardo “Digul” Gullas III who have been allocated 25 job orders were also slashed into two. 

De los Reyes’ allies in the council, Councilor Aldin Diaz, Danilo Caballero, Valeriano Ylanan and Dennis Basillote job order allocation were remained 25. 

“Duha nalang ang ilang job order. I will slash it, effective immediately. Gusto man kaha sila ingon niani ang kalibutan sa politika sa Talisay,” De los Reyes, after learning that the City Council has finally rejected the resolution seeking to grant him authority to enter P350-million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to finance the construction of the three-story Tabunok public market.

The city pays from P220-P300 per day per hired JO. Most of these workers were supporters of the mayor and his partymates in the last election. –JRS (FREEMAN)