JVR defends ‘missed’ SALN entries

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Mayor Johnny de los Reyes yesterday defended the non-inclusion of his relatives allegedly working at the City Hall in his 2013 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

The mayor said his relatives are only employed as job order workers. He also denied that his wife, Myrna, is working for the mayor's office as head of the women's council.

"Dili na ikalikay nga naa ko'y paryente nga nagtrabaho sa City Hall pero sila mi-trabaho ug wala sila nagpahimulos. Ang akong asawa, wala intawon nagtrabaho diri sa City Hall," De los Reyes said in a press conference.

In his 2013 SALN, the mayor listed only two relatives working with him at City Hall. They are his son John Yre and daughter Irish May Racaza.

John Yre serves as the city administrator while Irish May currently works as the mayor's executive assistant.

John Yre admitted he was hurt when his mother's name was floated in an earlier report as working at the City Hall. He claimed this was not true.

"Nasakitan gyud ko. My mother is not a job order (worker) here," John Yre said. He added that his father only has seven relatives working at the City Hall but only in the capacity of job order personnel.

City Hall consultant Aurelio Morales, a former director of the Civil Service Commission, said there is nothing irregular on the hiring of job order employees as it is a common practice among national and local government agencies. He also said there's nothing wrong with the mayor's non-inclusion of his relatives' names on the SALN.

Under the SALN law, each government employee is also asked to identify his relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity in the government service.

Morales explained that Section 9, Rule XIII of the 1998 Memorandum Circular No. 40 the Civil Service Commission, which provides the "Revised Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Personnel Actions, has nothing to do with the non-inclusion of the mayor's relatives in his SALN.

According to Morales, job order employees, as per CSC, are not considered government employees.

There is no employee-employer relationship between them, Morales said, adding that was the reason why the mayor's seven relatives were not included in the SALN.

The De los Reyes camp did not furnish the names of the relatives who are working at the City Hall as job order personnel.

City legal officer Alfredo Sipalay, for his part, said Section 9, Rule XI on the "Revised Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Personnel Actions" states that job order services rendered are not considered government service and no employer-employee relationship exists.

"The mayor did not violate anything," Sipalay said.

In the press conference, the mayor, however, confirmed that his brother Joel, who was not included in his 2013 SALN because the latter was allegedly hired after the April 30 deadline for public officials to submit the document, is working with him as head of the city's motor pool, fishermen's group and solid waste management program.  (FREEMAN)