Aspirant for city councilor in Talisay clamors for change in government

CEBU, Philippines - An opposition candidate for councilor in Talisay City is saddened by the alleged failure of the present officials who have been in public office for quite a time now to make it their main concern to invite investors to the place.

“Take Gaisano out of the picture, can you imagine how Talisay City would look? And to think Talisay has been a city for nine years already, Gaisano lang gihapon atong dako nga investor,” said Caballero in an interview with The Freeman.

The 42-year-old businessman said that alleged “shady deals,” the tedious processing of business permits, and the city’s being “unfriendly” to business are just the three “major reasons” why there are no big investments in Talisay despite the fact that it is just adjacent to the highly urbanized Cebu City. He said that at the rate Cebu City is growing, and Talisay’s prime location, being next to the former, it should have been progressive right by now or “probably on the first five years since it became a city.”

Caballero would not want to elaborate on the alleged “shady deals.”

As alleged, under-the-table deals at the city hall are now being practiced by businessmen who wish to expedite the processing of their business permits. Doing away with the practice would reportedly mean waiting for months or even years for the permits to be approved.

Caballero is identified with the Liberal Party, an opposition group which promises to stop corruption in Talisay City.

Former Vice Mayor Aberdovey Belleza, LP’s vice mayoralty bet, said that it is “high time” that the city elected a “new breed of leaders,” the ones who do not make public service a “livelihood.” At least one or two in the present set of elected officials have businesses of their own.

In Talisay City, a councilor earns as much as P50,000 a month, including all the allowances.

Belleza said all their candidates, from the mayor—former Provincial Board member Raul Bacaltos—down to the councilors are either businessmen or engineers, which means they won’t be after what the city would pay for their services once elected, much less engage in shady deals.

Belleza himself is a businessman while his running mate, Bacaltos is a practicing lawyer.

Caballero said the present administration may have thought of changing the system, “only it is not their top priority.”

If he gets elected, Caballero, who owns CCR Car Display in barangay Bulacao, said he would offer a five-year “tax holiday” to businesses as one of the ways to attract investors in Talisay. The business permit processing, he said, would also be “systematized.”

“We can’t afford to waste another three years or nine years and still only have Gaisano. If the people in government now can’t change the system they have now, then it’s time that we have to replace them,” Caballero said. – Liv G. Campo (THE FREEMAN)