JVR Blames Gullas for Budget Slash, Mulls Charges

Obviously disgusted with the huge slash of his proposed annual budget, Talisay City Mayor Johnny delos Reyes yesterday warned to file criminal charges against Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante and majority of the city council.

“Ako sila pasakaan ug kaso, abuse of authority ug economic sabotage,”Delos Reyes announced in the weekly 888 news forum held at the Marco Polo plaza hotel.

The feisty Mayor described the incident to that of Talisay as being hit by “political typhoon” blaming Villarante and the majority bloc-Alayon as its cause.

“Naigo tawn sa kalamidad, bagyo sa politika ang Talisay, ” delos Reyes said.

At one point Delos Reyes insinuated that the actions of Villarante is instigated by his political nemesis, former Congressman and Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas, whom he described as the patriarch of Alayon.

He first hinted about an “old man” as the one behind it, which he later named as Gullas when pressed by this reporter in an open interview during the forum.

“Actually wa na may laing head sa Alayon kun dili mao man si kanhi Congressman Gullas,” he said.

Initially, delos Reyes claimed that when he and Villarante were still in good terms along with some Alayon councilors, one of them, told him that Gullas would not want any budget for his projects and undertakings.

Before the budget slash crop up, Villarante and the the Alayon members has already aired an opposition on the proposed construction of a city public market in barangay Tabunok.

Delos Reyes claimed Gullas detest giving him a budget as it will be counter-productive to the cause of Alayon.

“Sa maayo pa ang among relasyon, ang iyaha gyud nga myembro sa Alayon nga konsehal nisulti gyud nako, niingon siya…Mayor nag meeting mi, ang old-man miingon nga dili ka patagaan ug budget, para sa akong project kay sama nga naghatag ug armalite ug bala kay kita ra gihapon ang maigo niana,” the Talisay city Mayor quoted the unnamed Talisay city councilor as saying.

Delos Reyes won against Gullas in 2010 election by the slimmest margin in the city’s political history, just more then 700 votes, despite the earlier political debacles of Delos Reyes.

Delos Reyes, who got the moniker JVR, his initials, was a perennial loser in the local elections in Talisay before his surprising victory against Gullas, then considered as political giant, having not lose to any local election, from being Cebu Governor, Congressman and later as the first Talisay City Mayor.

The Talisay City council slashed the proposed P1.081 billion budget by P539.941 which delos Reyes vetoed but Villarante and the councilors vowed to override the veto.

Aside from not approving the proposed P350 million budget for the construction of the Tabunok market, among the budget cuts, which Delos Reyes lamented is his intelligence funds from P10 million to 100 thousand, gasoline and fuel allocation from P6 million to P2 million, city admin from P5 million to 100 thousand, vehicles and repairs maintenance from P5 million to P2 million and allocation for senior citizens from P5 million to fifty-thousand pesos.

Delos Reyes already asked the intercession of Gov. Hilario Davide, his political ally on the issue, who promised to talk to Villarante and the councilors.

Davide and delos Reyes are Liberal party members, along with Villarante and four other city councilors, Aldin Diaz, Danilo Caballero, Valeriano Ylanan and Dennis Basillote.

Villarante, Diaz and Caballero has been suspected of already shifting their loyalty to the Gullas-led Alayon, who has seven members in its fold in the city council.