Moreno denies hand in ‘job order’ mess

By NITZ ARANCON,
Correspondent

MAYOR Oscar Moreno broke his silence over the “job order” controversy hounding the city council, denying that he had anything to do with it.

Over the weekend, Moreno cried foul over what he said were attempts to drag him into the controversy even as he accused Councilor Leon Gan of taking Councilor Lordan Suan for a ride.

The controversy started a week ago when Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin Uy revealed Suan’s list of “job order” recommendees and reminded the councilor about the law on nepotism. Suan’s list included his father Agapito Jr., mother Clarissa Mae, younger brother Agapito Eriberto Suan, uncles Eriberto Gualberto Jr. and Ramon Gualberto, aunt Annaliza Mae Diaz, cousin Josephine Padios, and Henry Rago, allegedly the father of his girlfriend.

The following day, Suan answered back, accusing Uy of double standard because other councilors were allowed to have their relatives as their “job order” staff members. At least three councilors–Enrico Salcedo and Teodulfo Lao Jr. of the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP) and George Goking of the Liberal Party–have admitted to having at least one relative each in their offices as “job orders.”

Moreno denied that he had a hand in contracting the services of “job orders” in the city council, particularly in the case of one worker who filed an administrative case against Vice Mayor Uy before the interior department.

The worker, Eric Alcantara, said he was made to work in the office of Suan for months and did not get paid by city hall because Uy did not grant the councilor’s request that he (Alcantara) be contracted as a “job order.”

“There’s nothing that I could do about that ‘hiring,’ kay wala ko  kabalo,” said Moreno, pointing out that the city council has the “autonomy,” and that the authority of hiring workers in the legislative department is with the vice mayor. But such authority, he said, is “limited.”

He revealed that Alcantara went to his office and brought the matter to his attention.

The problem, he said, was that Alcantara had no contract signed by the vice mayor.

Moreno said Suan took Alcantara in as a “job order” without following the process.

“Ingon siya (Alcantara), ‘Mayor, na-a man ko kang Suan nagtrabaho.’ Ingon ko, ‘Kinsay nag-hire nimo?’  Ingon siya, ‘Si Councilor Suan.’ Na ingon ko, wa ko kahibalo unsay   basihanan anang iyang pag-hire. Alang-alang unsay akong itubag. Lugar alang-alang mo-ingon ko’g, ‘Ayaw kabalaka kay suweldohan taka.’ Dili man na mahimo kay na-a bayay proseso ana,” Moreno said.

He said Suan had no authority to contract the services of “job orders.”

Moreno said the vice mayor “hires” and then assigns workers to the offices of councilors.

He frowned over what he called as an attempt to drag him into the controversy, blaming it on Councilor Gan, his most vocal critic in the city council.

Moreno said Gan dragged him into the controversy supposedly as part of “squid tactics.”

“Mao kana ang ilang squid tactics. Para mawala ang issue ni  Kagawad Suan, ako ang gisala ni Gan,” he said.

Moreno alleged that Gan has been “using” Suan, and this supposedly resulted in Uy’s exposé about Suan’s relatives in his list of “job orders.”

He said Suan’s recommendation to make his relatives as “job orders” under his office was misplaced.

“Wala siya (Suan) sa lugar. Pero ato na lang sabton kay bagito man  na. Ang problema, nga gagamiton lang siya ni Gan. Gaduwa-duwa-an lang siya ni Gan. Ma-o nay reality diha. Siya ang gakogilon ni Gan ba  nga tiraha-an na nga issue… Lo-oy baya… nalo-oy ko ni Councilor Suan. So lesson na niya. I hope he will learn from that,” Moreno said.