Osmeña appoints lawyer as caretaker of Ermita

Following the development in Barangay Ermita last Monday, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said that City Market Administrator Atty. Winifredo Orcullo Jr. will assume as caretaker instead of SPO1 Adonis Dumpit.

This, after Police Regional Office 7 Director Noli Taliño said that Dumpit can act as a law enforcement officer of Ermita as long as it does not include drug-related operations.

Dumpit is currently deployed in the Carbon Police Station by Cebu City Police Office Director Senior Supt. Joel Doria.

Dumpit was supposed to sit as caretaker of Ermita last Monday after being appointed by the mayor, but the senior citizens of the village padlocked their barangay hall to block his entry.

They also posted on the building’s facade banners to express their protest against the assumption of a non-resident as acting village chief.

The barangay personnel also reiterated their threats of making good their planned mass resignation should their suspended of- ficials be replaced with non-residents.

Although he initially agreed to take care of Ermita, Dumpit was a no-show last Monday following the development in the barangay.

Suspended earlier by the Ombudsman-Visayas are barangay captain Felicisimo Rupinta and his seven councilors—Marky Rizaldy Miral, Antonieto Flores, Ryan Jay Rosas, Alio Tamundo, Domingo Ando, Maria Bianghug and Wilbert Flores—after they allegedly failed to cooperate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Visayas during a drug raid last year.

The suspension order was served to the village officials last week by the Department of Interior and Local Government.

While he believes that the residents are entitled to their opinion, Osmeña said they can’t order him.

“There are a lot of irregularities in the barangay, including drugs and gambling. Of course, they’re threatened. If they’re trying to close the barangay, I’m happy because that means they’re scared. I will help Ermita, but one way to do is to clean it up,” the mayor said.

There are a lot of irregularities in the barangay, including drugs and gambling. Of course, they’re threatened. If they’re trying to close the barangay, I’m happy because that means they’re scared. TOMAS R. OSMEñA Cebu City Mayor