JVR orders release of stipends for judges, fiscals

Talisay City Mayor Johnny delos Reyes (right) confers with his son and Talisay City Administrator John Yre delos Reyes during a press conference in this January 20, 2015 photo.

Talisay City Mayor Mayor Johnny delos Reyes ordered his son, City Administrator John Yre delos Reyes, to release last month’s honoraria for four judges, nine prosecutors, the clerk of court and the Public Attorney’s Office.

“Ihatag lang nako nila aron mahuman na, aron wa nay daghang istorya (I  am giving it to them so there will be no more issue about it),” the mayor told Cebu Daily News  at 10 minutes before 5 p.m. yesterday.

The delayed release of allowances for April had judges and justice personnel wondering whether the mayor was signalling his  displeasure over a  case of arson pending  against him in the Talisay prosecutor’s office.

“Wala man nako putla ang ilang allowances. (I didn’t  stop their allowances)  In fact, I just learned about it now),”  the mayor told CDN at 1 p.m.
He said he would aks his son, the administrator, about it

“Ato nang sulbaron,” he said, and promised to follow it up.  (We will solve this.)

Last week, the prosecutors office sought a clarification from the city treasurer when the allowances from the Talisay city government were not released as scheduled by April 30.

Talisay City Prosecutor Marshall Rubia said they usually receive their allowances in cash at the end of the month.

“I don’t know the reason. We keep following up but we’re just told that it’s with the city administrator and that the payroll hasn’t been signed yet because Yre is on leave,” said Rubia.

Rubia, and the four judges in Talisay City–Glenda Go, Jacinto Fajardo, Mario Manayon, and Charina Quijano receive  a monthly stipend of P7,000 each from the Talisay City government.

All five assistant prosecutors in Talisay  receive an allowance of P5,000 each, while the three other assisting prosecutors receive P3,000 each every month.

Mayor delos Reyes, in an earlier CDN interview, said he would  only release the honoraria after he meets the city fiscals.

“Ever since I sat as mayor, I’ve never gotten to know them. I don’t know any of them except Fiscal Rubia. Before they receive the city’s support, I want to know them first,” the mayor said in a previous  interview.

Asked yesterday if he still wants to meet them, the mayor said he is still open to it.

Blame on budget
“If they don’t have time, it’s okay with me,” delos Reyes said.

The mayor denied withholding the  honoraria  because of the pending  arson case filed against him by Supt. Reycel Carmelo Dayon, his former city police chief.

Dayon accused the mayor of  torching an impounded  truck filled with sand and gravel last March.

A police witness later recanted his testimony on the case.

The complaint is under preliminary investigation by a three-member panel of prosecutors.

Mayor Delos Reyes blamed the city’s reduced budget for the delayed release of the allowances and said the arson case has nothing to do with it.

After him
Earlier this year, the Talisay City Council cut the city’s annual budget from the proposed P1.081 billion down to P539 million.

Last April, the council once again slashed the proposed supplemental budget of P59 million down to 33.2 million.

But Delos Reyes said he can’t help but think the city fiscals are after him when the arson charges were filed against him.

“Sa akong tan-aw, katong arson nga gi-file, wala man toy umoy pero ila gihapong gitagaan og kabug-aton. Dali-dali kaayo ang pagkiha nga mura’g naa silay interes nako (In my view the arson case had no basis but they still gave it weight. The filing of charges was so swift, it’s like they have a special interest in me),” he said.

A Talisay City Hall insider said Yre was not on leave and has not filed any leave application.

He wasn’t in his office at the Talisay City Hall when Cebu Daily News tried to get his reaction.