More than six months into his job and Talisay City Mayor Johnny “JV” delos Reyes is still struggling with the intricacies and challenges of local governance such as appointing people to sensitive positions in his administration.
The Talisay City Council initially rejected JVR’s appointment of his daughter as manager of a “pharmacy for the poor project” even if, as the mayor claimed, his daughter is receiving less than half of what she received when she worked for their family-owned pharmacy.
While the council eventually approved his daughter’s appointment, the mayor perhaps in an exasperated fit, said he was withholding his designation in order not to be questioned about his choices of appointees, who consist mostly of family members and those supposedly with the Seventh Day Adventist Church which he is affiliated with.
The selection of Dr. Paulus Cañete as Talisay City College president, however, is fraught with legal and political challenges that the mayor simply cannot ignore, more so since among those questioning the appointment is a political ally under the local Liberal Party chapter.
Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante’s main argument is that delos Reyes’ order appointing Dr. Cañete, who had the misfortune of being snubbed as Mandaue City College president by Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes violates an ordinance that created the Talisay City College.
The ordinance stipulates that the school’s board of trustees should create a search committee that would select the school’s next president, a process that Mayor Delos Reyes either ignored or is completely unaware about.
In Delos Reyes’ defense, City Legal Officer Alfredo Salipay said the school board chaired by the mayor authorized him to appoint Cañete, a claim that Bacaltos, a former Talisay City administrator is disputing.
Since the mayor acceded, grudgingly perhaps, to the council’s rejection of his daughter as manager of his administration’s pharmacy for the poor project, it won’t be hard to believe that he may drop or retain Cañete altogether.
We don’t question the mayor’s appointment of Cañete considering his qualification for the post in contrast to Bacaltos whom Villarante pointed out was already a faculty member of a Cebu City-based university.
But we agree with Villarante that the mayor, as school board chairman, should have pushed for the creation of a search committee for persons qualified to become Talisay City College president rather than arbitrarily appoint someone for the post even if he or she is qualified to assume it.
Whatever the resolution of this conflict may be, we hope the next school president addresses the three-month delay in the release of faculty salaries. They should be shielded from political intramurals of the powers that be in Talisay City.
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