Board decision upsets Talisay mayor

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Mayor Johnny De los Reyes was disappointed over the decision of  the members of the Talisay City College Board of Trustees to recognize Ritchel Bacaltos as the city college acting president.

In a board meeting last Thursday at the Commission on Higher Education office in Lahug, Cebu City, majority of the BOT members reaffirmed Bacaltos' appointment and set aside the executive order issued by De los Reyes appointing Dr. Paulus Mariae Cañete as TCC officer-in-charge.

With three members absent, all those who showed up in the meeting voted 8-0, in favor of  giving authority to Bacaltos to confirm the 2014 TCC graduates.  The closed-door meeting also discussed the confirmation of the degrees, titles and diplomas to the graduates.

"This is my administration and I'm the mayor. I hope they can understand and give me a chance to select and appoint my own choice of college president," De los Reyes told The FREEMAN.

He added that it is not him who started the mess in the affairs of his administration but those who belong to the other camp.

However, De los Reyes refused to name personalities who allegedly want to destroy his administration.

De los Reyes insisted that the board should wait for the decision of  the court since Bacaltos already filed a complaint against him.

It was decided in the meeting that the annual commencement exercises fall on March 26. The schedule for TCC graduation saw a quagmire of  dates earlier with Bacaltos and Cañete each having a preferred date of graduation.

The mayor said he has no plan to stop the graduation schedule set by the BOT and was not certain whether he will grace the event or not.

CHED regional director Freddie Bernal, for his part, said he understands the sentiment of the mayor. But Bernal pointed out that he will abide by what has been stipulated in the city ordinance.

"This is how democracy works. The good mayor is the chairman but he has only one vote," Bernal added.

Former vice mayor and now Talisay City Chamber of Commerce president Alan Bucao explained that there is no politics involved in the vote reaffirming Bacaltos as acting president.

"Modesty aside, I have nothing against the mayor, Cañete or Bacaltos but we just follow what is in the ordinance," Bucao said.

Bernal, meanwhile, said the school board has decided to activate the search committee for the appointment of the TCC president.

"Napagdesisyunan sa school board na kailangang i-activate yung search committee kasi nasa ordinance kasi yan. The ordinance requires that the appointment of the TCC president should be based on the recommendation of a search committee created by the school board," Bernal said.

Bernal added that the board will be drafting guidelines on search committee for the next TCC school president. (FREEMAN)