Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Thursday, July 28, that he will not meddle in the so-called rift between Kabankalan Mayor Benjie Miranda and the members of the city’s Sangguniang Panlungsod.
“I will not meddle there. I think the mayor already said that he’s open to sit down with them. I think he should give that a priority and not only base it on his availability. They are grown men and women so they can settle that,” he said.
Miranda said on Wednesday that he is open to dialog with SP members for the good of Kabankalan.
The City SP had passed a resolution expressing their dismay and disappointment over Miranda’s hiring of persons who are not from Kabankalan for city government jobs.
Miranda said when he declared that he would not fire any employees, and job order and casual workers of Kabankalan, the SP should have also passed a resolution thanking him for doing that.
There is a city ordinance that states that 70 percent of the city employees must be Kabankalanons and 30 percent can come from elsewhere, he said.
He has only hired about 18 non-Kabankalan residents for their skills, which is allowed by law, Miranda said.*