Talisay City Mayor Johnny V. delos Reyes has threatened to pull out 30 job order employees that City Hall assigned to help in the Talisay District Hospital if the hospital administration continues to refuse to honor the coupons he issued to indigent constituents.
“Sa akong kahiubos, akong i-pull-out hinuon ang mga job order employees diha sa hospital. Unsay kapuslanan ana, nga di man diay sila motabang sa mga kabus (Much to my regret I will pull out the job order employees at the hospital. What’s their use if they cannot help the poor),” delos Reyes said in a radio interview.
The mayor said Talisay allocates P200,000 a month for salaries of some hospital workers.
Delos Reyes said he is willing to sit down with the hospital administration on this issue. The mayor said he will seek the help of Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III since the district hospital is managed by the provincial government.
“Akong ingnon si Gov. Davide, nga secondary lang ng negosyo, unahon nato ang serbisyo, ang pagtabang. Gibutang ng hospital para pagtabang sa mga pobre, di kay iduot sila ug pasagdang mamatay (I told Governor Davide that business is secondary, let’s prioritize service. The hospital was set up to help the poor, not to ignore them and let them die),” delos Reyes said.
The mayor said he is willing to pay the city’s P7 million payables to the district hospital so long as the hospital can provide him with the documents.
Delos Reyes said he received a text message from the City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWD) stating that starting Feb. 1, the district hospital won’t honor the coupons he issued to the poor because the Talisay City Hall failed to settle P7 million in payables.
He said the payables were incurred during the administration of former mayor now City Councilor Socrates Fernandez. Correspondent Fe Marie D. Dumaboc