Each councilor may have two relatives as ‘job orders’: Kikang
Nitz Arancon3 min read
By NITZ ARANCONCorrespondent
VICE Mayor Raineir Joaquin Uy on Monday said he would only allow members of the city council to have one or two relatives as “job orders” as their staff members.
Uy said this even as he said he would go public with the city council’s list of “job orders” if that is what Councilor Lordan Suan wants.
Suan earlier challenged Uy to release the list of “job orders” in the city council even as he accused the vice mayor of allowing members of the majority to have relatives in their offices while rejecting requests for “job orders” coming from members of the local opposition.
Suan’s challenge was a result of Uy’s revelation that the councilor wanted to turn his father, mother, sibling and other relatives into city hall “job orders.”
Uy said he was not keeping anything from the public. “Na-a man nang akoang ‘JO’ diha. Puwede nako na any time of the day... kung na-a ba siyay challenge, andam man ko ana tanan,” Uy said.
Suan earlier said he planned to bring the matter to the city council’s attention and challenge Uy to come clean by showing the list of “job orders.” Nothing like that happened when the city council had its session on Monday.
Uy told reporters they should ask councilors about their relationship with the “job orders” in their offiices.
“Pangotan-on ninyo ang ubang konsihal. Di man na-address sa akoa.Mas maayo motubag ang kadtong proper nga kung kinsa mankaha nga konsihal,” he said.
Last week, councilors Enrico Salcedo, Teodulfo Lao Jr. and George Goking admitted that they have one relative each as “job order” staff member.
Uy said he really has no problems with councilors having one or even two relatives as “job order” staff members “basta dili lang unta halos tanang membro sa pamilya.”
He added: “OK ra man kung na-a man ugalingusa, duha, pero ayaw lang pud tong tibo-ok pamilya. Bisan kinsa na man tingali pod. Lisod pud. Wala nay maglung-ag ana.”
He said he has been seeing to it that all councilors, regardless of political party affiliations, would have “job orders” in their staffs.
“Na-a may mga ‘JO’ tanan, ma-opposition o majority,” he said.
Uy said Councilor Suan was not being singled out, pointing out that his revelation about the councilor’s list of “job orders” was just his response to an administrative complaint filed against him by one of Suan’s staff members.
The complaint was filed by Eric Alcantara who said he did not get paid by city hall because Uy did not act on Suan’s request for “job orders.” Uy said Suan was behind the complaint.
“Wala nako gi-single out kay tungod siya may nag-complain, gitubag lang nako iyang complaint,” Uy said.
He said he had nothing personal against Suan and he was willing to make peace with the councilor.
“Any time of the day, puwede man ni ma-estoryahan. Wala man sad ko nangaway, wala sad ko namersonal,” Uy said.
He said he was disappointed because Mayor Oscar Moreno was dragged into the controversy.
“The Sanggunian is an independent body. Na-a ran na dani,” he said.