Politics behind filing of admin raps - Osmeña

For Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, politics is the reason why he was sued by a former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) official for appointing some councilors as deputy mayors.

Osmeña said lawyer and former NBI 7 director Florencio Villarin, who filed the administrative complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman, ran thrice as representative in the city’s north district, but did not win.

Osmeña said Villarin also asked for his endorsement to become the national director of NBI, which the mayor never did.

“Politics. He is a perennial loser who keeps on running as a congressman. One time he asked me to endorse him as national director of NBI, which I did not, so that might be one of the reasons he was angry with me,” the mayor told reporters.

Villarin filed an administrative complaint against Osmeña, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and nine other officials for dishonesty, grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service, culpable violation of the Local Government Code, and violation of the Constitution and Presidential Decree 6713.

Villarin said Osmeña has no authority to appoint the councilors as his deputy mayors as it violated the principle of separation of powers of the State, or the system of check and balance.

“I call them deputy mayors but technically there is really no deputy mayor and that doesn’t make it illegal. Many of these councilors are there for many years and they have been mixing with the people, they know the problems in the barangays so I give them the directions to help me out in the areas of their concern,” said Osmeña, adding deputy mayors cannot sign any check or have the authority to disburse funds.

In a separate interview, Labella said he was wondering why he was included in the complaint.

Labella, also a lawyer said that the appointment of deputy mayor is an executive act of Osmeña.

“But regardless of his reasons, I still have high respect to Atty. Villarin. It is his right to file a complaint and I will answer it once I will receive a copy,” said Labella.

Councilor Dave Tumulak, who is the deputy mayor for police matters, said the responsibility that mayor gave him is for the benefit of the public. /