CAGAYAN de Oro City Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin Uy and Councilor Lordan Suan once again butted heads after the two clashed over the rules of procedure of the City Council session on Monday, September 4.
In an interview, Uy blamed Suan saying the latter’s behavior during the deliberations of a resolution that got his ire.
"Nitindog siya unya musulti na while gasulti pa atong majority floor leader Councilor Ian Nacaya, pero muilog naman sa storya, muilog naman sa microphone syempre nakita nato gitindog na diritso, pero wala paman gi-recognize, dili na pwede. Ato man siya hatagan ug higayon pero at the right and proper time," Uy said.
He added, "Nagsulbad paman ta sa maong motion, so dili masulbad kung magkanya-kanya ug singit, so dapat one at a time."
Uy said he felt disrespected by Suan's action, pointing out that he almost declared Suan “out of order.”
"Mofollow ta sa rules and procedures para hapsay ta, respetohay. What I did was nothing personal, mo-folllow lang sa parliamentary procedures, dili tungod kay feeling niya superior siya, dili na siya patuo. Kung gusto siya magpa-respeto, respetohan pud dapat niya iyang kauban," Uy said.
The recent altercation between the two brought up their past fight on the job order mess.
It can be recalled that earlier this year, Uy publicized the list of Suan's job order employees which supposedly included Suan’s parents, prompting Uy to accuse Suan of nepotism.
Uy said on Monday, he was waiting for Suan's supposed special report which will expose the list of job order employees of all the councilors.
Suan had said that he was not the only one who hired members of his immediate family as employees.
Suan had also threatened to “expose” supposedly similar dealing by the Vice Mayor.
Uy challenged his Suan to go on with his supposed expose saying he would resign if Suan could prove his claim.
"Gihulat nako iyang special report about daw sa ako, pero almost a year na, wala pa man gihapon, asa naman? Kay mag-resign ko kung mapatunayan niya naa daw koy JO nga relative. Asa naman, gitawag pako niya ug bakakon sa one of the local newspaper, how can I lie? I have all the evidence," he said.
But Suan, in an interview on Tuesday, said although he was surprised by Uy's sudden outburst during the session, he said he did not mean to disrespect the Vice Mayor.
"First of all, nasurprise ko kay kung maayo ang discussion, kung dili adversarial, mutindog ra baya ka, naay idugang gamay, informal ra kay kauban man, pwede ra man ka mostorya. Pero that time, natingala nalang ko. And actually, gusto man nako to mapass to na ordinance, wala man ko nibabag actually, I want to speak because I want to express that I am for the proposal, not against it," he said.
The neophyte councilor said he has learned to take the vice mayor's outbursts in stride.
Suan also pointed out that up until now, he has no job order employee, reiterating that he did not commit nepotism.
"Hangtod karon, wala koy JO, especially not my family, ang iyang allies maoy naay JO, mga secretaries na dili gakakita, unya ako gane na wala nuon, na-accuse ug nepotism," he said.
Because of the incident, Suan said his sports and cultural funds, which is supposed to exist for solicitations from the public, is not made available for him.
"Naulaw nako dawat sa solicitations, ako nalang sila warningan daan na pila na kamonths pa na maprocess ang ilang request," he said.