Talisay council likely to trim Mayor JVR’s SB-4 next week

CEBU, Philippines - The Talisay City Council is expected to decide next week on the fourth supplemental budget proposal tendered by Mayor Johnny De los Reyes.

At first, majority of the members of the legislative department reportedly wanted to enter into a deal with the mayor. They wanted to have their slashed quotas restored in exchange for the passing of the budget.

The mayor, however, recently turned this down.

Based on the information gathered by The FREEMAN, majority of the city council wanted to gain back their job order quotas, which they said were deprived to them by mayor.

Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante said the mayor initially gave his approval to the deal but when Solomon Paypa and City Administrator John Yre De los Reyes learned of the agreement, the mayor suddenly changed his mind.

The City Council asked 88 job order quotas to be divided among the 10 of them, including Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante.

A big chunk of SB-4 goes to the salary of the job order employees rendering their service starting the month of August.

"So kun mao na ang inyong rason nga mabalik ang budget ni Mayor JVR unya mangayo mo og makalilisang nga job order, never mind, no deal, no deal ta. Dili na na. Huwaton na lang namo ang 2016," John Yre said in his block time program last week.

In his SB-4, Mayor JVR is asking for supplemental budget amounting to P74 million.

SB-4 consists of the P9 million salary of job order workers and teachers of Talisay City College, P40 million for infrastructure projects and P4.9 million for intelligence fund.

Villarante said the camp of JVR was only afraid that they would use the 88 job order workers for their political advantage.

"Wa nalang sila maikog nga naa nila ang 700 ka mga job order. Mao nay klaro nga pamulitika," Villarante said.

Villarante added that during the regular session next week, they will approve the supplemental budget so that the job order employees would receive their salaries.

"Amo nalang agwantahon nga dili gyud mabalik namo ang tag-unom nga JO workers kaysa mosamot ang kagutom sa mga wa sweldohi," he said.

He said the city mayor would not expect for the whole amount he asked to be approved, especially the intelligence fund.

Villarante said they are basing their slashing on the previous statement of the mayor that he used his intelligence fund for other purposes.  (FREEMAN)