DISPLACED. Personnel from the Talisay City College Registrar’s Office were left with no office last Wednesday after their work place was forcibly closed.
Embattled Talisay City College (TCC) acting president Richel Bacaltos and his staff yesterday removed the plywood sheet that was used to bar his office’s doors and resumed their business operations.
Bacaltos arrived at around 8 a.m. and went on to reclaim his office. There was no resistance from the mayor’s personnel when the President’s Office was reopened.
Cañete’s allies — Dr. Emedio Bustillo and Dr. Elmer Repalda — reportedly facilitated the boarding up of the offices of college president and the registrar. The mayor’s executive order directing an inventory of the documents and properties inside the President’s Office was not implemented.
Tension temporarily gripped the college at around 10:30 a.m. when City Legal Officer Alfredo Sipalay arrived with representatives from City Hall’s General Services and Accounting office to conduct an inventory. But instead of a standoff, Bacaltos ushered the City Hall officials to his office where he issued the appeal that properties and documents in his office not be removed.
Bacaltos told reporters that he ordered the reopening of his office as the closure last Wednesday was illegal. He added he will ask the court to cite the mayor and Cañete in contempt of court for disobeying the status quo order.
Against the law
A quo warranto case was filed by Bacaltos against Mayor Delos Reyes and Cañete.
“The case is still pending and what they did was a violation of the law,” Bacaltos said.
Sipalay said they asked Bacaltos to gracefully vacate his office since he is not the campus president anymore and let Cañete assume his post.
But he admitted they failed as Bacaltos insisted that they wait for the resolution of the case he filed.
Sipalay branded Bacaltos’ belligerence as delaying tactics.
Delos Reyes in a separate interview told reporters that his lawyer are studying what case to file against Bacaltos.
“Panglawgaw lang gyud na ang gibuhat ni Bacaltos,” Delos Reyes said.
(Bacaltos is just muddling the issue.)
TCC’s graduation rites is scheduled on April 11. It was reported earlier that if the issue is not resolved, Cañete and Bacaltos will issue their respective ‘diplomas’ to the graduates.
Bacaltos is the former city administrator of former mayor Socrates Fernandez. He was appointed to head the TCC in the waning days of the Fernandez administration. Cañete on the other hand lead the breakaway Mandaue City College when Mayor Jonas Cortes booted him out from Mandaue City-owned college.