Sunday, February 24, 2008 Jonas 'getting back' at rivals
THE transfer of Suzette Albaño, wife of opposition Councilor Alfonso Albaño Jr., to another department outside City Hall was not a retaliatory move.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes said he was just returning Suzette to where she rightfully belongs: her mother unit at the City Engineer’s Office.
(Suzette had been one of the staffers of her husband.)
Councilor Emil Rosal said the timing of the transfer was suspect since it took place after eight opposition councilors, including Suzette’s husband, overrode the mayor’s veto on some items of the budget.
Last Feb. 6, Cortes ordered Suzette to report back to her mother unit. The mayor told Sun.Star Cebu that it would look improper, if not unfair, if she had her husband as her boss.
Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna said “...it is the consequence for staying with the opposition and voting to override the mayor’s veto.”
He said City Administrator Briccio Boholst had called Councilor Albaño while the latter was in Manila last Feb. 5, asking him not to return to Cebu and attend the session on the sixth.
Boholst, for his part, said he called Albaño to ask for his support and not to prevent him from attending the session.
With regards to Suzette’s transfer, the city administrator found it irregular for a wife to work under her husband.
“That is something that should not be promoted or everybody can have their wife work under them,” Boholst said.
Sun.Star tried to get Suzette’s reaction but she declined to be interviewed. (OCP)
