ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry Treñas’ city administrator, Melchor Tan, is shunning media interviews.
But it is not because he is averse to the media. It is because the new administration will be observing this policy: the city mayor is the sole spokesperson of the city government.
Tan said he would be speaking in behalf of the city mayor only if authorized.
Still, Tan assured the media and the public in general that his office is open to all.
“The office is open…my style is, I do not work in a closed office. Anybody can go there without scheduling an appointment,” he said.
Tan served as city administrator when Treñas was mayor from 2001 to 2010.
“My working ethic has not changed. I always finish what is needed to be finished within the day,” said Tan. “We are here to serve the people. We are not here to be served.”
On the other hand, former City Administrator Hernando Galvez was looking forward to be active in lawyering again.
“I am a lawyer and I love appearing in court,” he said. “In fact, isa ‘na sa kondisyon naton when I accepted the offer to be the city administrator during the administration of then mayor Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.”
When Mabilog was dismissed from the service in October 2017, then vice mayor Jose Espinosa III – who became the city mayor by operation of law – kept Galvez as city administrator.
Galvez said he was proud to be leaving the city government without stealing a cent of public funds./PN
