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By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

OTHER councilors, past and present, did it, and so why can’t he?

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Councilor Lordan Suan yesterday spilled the beans about the practice of councilors in providing city council work for their relatives even as he dared Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin Uy not to single him out.

Suan’s challenge: come clean by going public with the complete list of all “job order” workers in the city council.

Without naming names, he accused members of the city council majority of securing “job order” work for their family members, and alleged that the practice has been going on for years.

“Ila nang mga anak,” Suan told the Gold Star Daily.

He said this practice in the city council prompted him to recommend members of his own family for “job order” positions in a letter to Uy in Jan. 24.

Suan’s recommendees included his uncle Eriberto Gualberto Jr., Annaliza Mae Diaz, sister Clarissa Mae Suan, father Agapito Suan Jr., Henry Rago, Josephine Padios, Agapito Eriberto Suan, and Ramon Guarberto.

He said he consulted senior members of the city council before he recommended his family members.

“Nangotana man ko sa ila ana nga OK ra ba ni nga akong ibutang akong pamilya diri as mga ‘job order.’ Ingon sila OK ra man na wala man nay problema,” Suan said.

Suan said those who advised him even cited the case of former councilor President Elipe whose siblings were taken in as “job orders.” It happened when the city council was still under the leadership of the then vice mayor Caesar Ian Acenas.

“Ingon sila mao baya tong kang Prexy Elipe sa una, iya baya ’tong igso-on, wala man gani siya gibadlong ato,” said Suan.

He said he would deliver a special report before the city council and formally challenge Vice Mayor Uy to go public with the complete list of “job orders” whose appointments he approved.

“Kung maeveal lang bitaw nang official list sa tanang ‘job orders,’ mao nay pinaka grabe nga scandal gyud,” Suan said.

He said the city council leadership should release the list to the public.

Suan said he and other members of the city council minority have sought the “job orders” list but the document was allegedly withheld from them.

“Grabe gyud ka sekreto na. Nganong dili man na ma-reveal nga public record man na?” Suan asked rhetorically.

He warned that the city council minority would be forced to file a case unless the list is made public.

“Isa na sa mga kaso nga among i-file inaction ana nga request. Mag-file mig kaso kay nganong dili aksiyonan. Kinahanglan within 15 days kanang mga request kinahanglan aksiyonan man na dapat,” he said.

Suan said only when the list of “job orders” is revealed can he feel vindicated.

On Monday, Vice Mayor Uy disclosed during a city council session that Suan’s list of “job orders” includes his father, sister and other relatives.

Uy did this after a “job order” worker under Suan filed an administrative case against the vice mayor for not acting on his appointment papers despite the councilor’s request. As a result, the worker did not get paid by city hall.

Technically, said Suan, he could not be held liable for nepotism because Uy rejected his recommendees.

“Ang mahitabo ani, ako na hino-on ang malimpiyo kay wala man ma-aprobahi ang akoa. Sila na hino-on ang makasuhan og nepotism,” Suan said.

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