No phone line to "ostracized" Talisay City dad's office

CEBU, Philippines – Apart from not getting a job quota, which he should have, being a councilor of the administration party, neophyte Councilor Val Ylanan is allegedly being deprived of a telephone line in his office.

"Lisud og walay communication. Dugay na silang nisaad nga butangan mi, pero hangtud karon wala pa man gihapon," said Ylanan's staff, who refused to be named.

The past weeks since Ylanan assumed office last July 1, he and two staff members were assigned to a shabby room with almost no fixtures at all or a telephone line.

The office was once occupied by former Councilor Arturo Bas, who took with him his telephone line to his new office at the ground floor of the city hall.

Bas is the city's public information officer who now occupies the quarters previously assigned to the municipal trial court in cities.

Bas, for his part, defended that he had to bring with him his old line as communication is a "necessity" to his job. He assured that the old number will be returned to Ylanan once a new line is installed in his present office.

While all nine councilors are having offices complete with the necessary fixtures, Ylanan only got what was left for him - after his colleagues allegedly divided among themselves the tables, chairs, cabinets, other office fixtures, and a dilapidated air-conditioning unit after Bas vacated his old office.

All nine councilors are also getting 20-employee quota each, a privilege given to each of them, except for Ylanan, who is only getting two.

Earlier, Ylanan, who rose from being a junk shop trader to top councilman of barangay Linao and now the number three councilor of Talisay City, laments the treatment he is getting from party-mates, but at the same time has vowed to get on with legislative work despite the fact that the council has also deprived him of committee chairmanships, while the rest of the administration councilors have two committee chairmanships each, including Vice Mayor Alan Bucao.

Ylanan got the ire of his party-mates after he reportedly jumped ship at the last minute of the elections, which he vehemently denied.

But rumors are rife that his fellow administration councilors are still beating their chests for being dislodged by the newbie Ylanan, who beat most of the incumbent for the top post, in the last May 10 polls, when they ranked well in their surveys.

The 20 job quota allotted to each administration councilor is set aside to accommodate their supporters in the last election.

The mayor and vice mayor have more than the usual 20, which brings the city's total temporary or "job order" employees to more than 900, costing the city at least P3 million per month for their salaries. (THE FREEMAN)