Bañez has no city to turn to after Oro

By HERBIE GOMEZ, Editor in chief
and NITZ ARANCON, Correspondent

THE local government of Quezon City neither requested the return of former Cagayan de Oro acting treasurer Glenn Bañez nor are officials there expecting him back.

Ares Gutierrez, head of Quezon City’s Public Affairs and Information Services Office, told the Gold Star Daily over the weekend that the claim that Dr. Bañez was recalled was “next to impossible.”

Gutierrez quoted Quezon city administrator Aldrin Cuna as saying, “No, he (Bañez) is treasurer of Cagayan de Oro and has a pending Ombudsman case.”

The statements of the Quezon city officials raised more questions than answers on the reason behind the exit of Bañez from the city hall of Cagayan de Oro, and  contradicted a claim that the former acting city treasurer was recalled by the local government of the most populous city in the country.

Gutierrez’s Cagayan de Oro counterpart, Maricel Rivera, released a statement last week that reads: “Glenn Bañez is being recalled by the Quezon City Government, his mother unit. He has been ‘loaned’ to CDO, upon Mayor Oscar Moreno’s request, when the latter assumed his mayorship in July 2013.”

Councilor Enrico Salcedo told the Gold Star Daily over the weekend he was inclined to think that Bañez was “fired” by Moreno, and not recalled by the Quezon city government or resigned. Salcedo did not elaborate.

Another councilor, Teodulfo Lao Jr., told this paper on Thursday that claims about an alleged “word war” between Moreno and Bañez were “pure conjecture and speculation.”

Lao said, “I am certain, that there is no conflict or indifference” between Moreno and Bañez.

But Lao said Bañez was aware that his services in Cagayan de Oro were temporary because he was merely sent to this city in 2013 by former Quezon City mayor and former House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to help the Moreno administration in improving the local tax collection campaign. He said Bañez can be recalled by the Quezon city government any time.

Roberto Acenas, a supervisor at the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLFG) in Region 10, said Mayor Moreno did not recommend the extension of Bañez’s designation as officer in charge of the local treasurer’s office.

Acenas said Bañez’s one-year designation as acting city treasurer expired this March 10.

“Kada tuig man gud mo-expire ang among designation sa pagka-acting city treasurer. Ma-o na nga ang mayor, kada tuig sab magecommend sa amo sa iyang gusto nga himo-ong in charge sa City Treasurer’s Office,” Acenas said.

The day Bañez’s designation expired or this March 10,  BLFG regional  director Herminigilda Garsula designated assistant city treasurer Ramon Antonio Mendoza as Bañez’s replacement based on Moreno’s recommendation.

Acenas said the BLGF was unaware of Moreno’s reason for not recommending Bañez.

He also revealed that the Department of Finance (DOF) has denied the appointment of Bañez as regular city treasurer. This, he said, may have factored in Moreno’s decision on Bañez.

But Mendoza, like Bañez, was recommended for the regular position too by Moreno. There was a third Moreno nominee: Gingging Maagad.

“Gibalik man dinhi ang ilang appointment gikan sa Department of Finance bisan sa recommendation ni  Mayor Moreno,” he said.

Acenas said the DOF saw Bañez to be qualified for the position of city treasurer given his length of service but “naa pa may mas kaaran pa ni Bañez diha sa City Treasurer’s Office, mao na mga gibalik dinhi ang iyang appointment gikan sa Department of Finance,” he said.