JVR’s picture taken at wake questioned

CEBU, Philippines -  A woman who works as a nurse abroad is complaining about a picture of Talisay City Mayor Johnny Delos Reyes taken at her mother’s wake and which came out in Facebook, apparently to promote the city’s free coffin and burial program for the poor.

Wilfredo Velarde, resident of barangay Poblacion, Talisay, a son of deceased Flora Velarde in a phone interview yesterday said his sister was angry when she saw the picture posted at Facebook with the caption “Karon Libre Nang Lungon ug Gasto sa Paglubong.”

 Velarde said his sister presumed that her family here had sought assistance from the city government for the burial of their mother and has asked him where he has put the money she had sent.

Velarde said their 79-year-old mother died last August 29, and in the first week of September the mayor and some of his staff were in the neighborhood to check a deep wheel near their house.

But the mayor dropped by their house and gave him P200 (maybe as donation) as he peeked into the room where their mother’s coffin was.

The mayor’s staff took a picture of Delos Reyes at the wake and the picture appeared in a magazine which marked the mayor’s first 100 days in office, he said.

Somebody must have uploaded the picture in Facebook, he said.

 Velarde said he will consult a lawyer.

On the other hand, De los Reyes yesterday told reporters that the picture of a wake that appeared in the magazine was taken in barangay Lagtang where the person who died was an Adventist that benefited from the city’s free coffin program.

The mayor said he thought the man’s coffin was expensive. He called the Mount Olive Funeral Homes to inquire about the amount and was told that it only cost P5,000.

The city will give only P5,000 for the coffin. — (FREEMAN)