Mayor Tomas unfazed by threats to his life

Despite the threat to his life, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he has no plans to beef up his security and told Cebuanos not to worry about him.

“I have to do my job. The people of Cebu voted for me and the protection of the people of Cebu is paramount, not mine. The important thing here is the safety of the people of the City of Cebu. I put that ahead of my safety and it’s very important to me that the people of Cebu know what’s happening,” he said.

With peace and order at stake, Osmeña said he wants Cebu City Police Office Director Senior Supt. Royina Garma to solve the spate of killings.

“What I intend to do is to ask our chief of police to solve this problem,” he said.

In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña confirmed that he got a text message saying that he and former Tejero barangay captain Jessielou Cadungog are targets.

The person who sent the text message did not specify what he or she meant by “target.”

“Mayor, be very careful. You and ex-councilor Cadungog are being targeted for reasons I don’t know but some police officials objected and warned if anything happens to you, there will be big trouble. The plan was aborted. Be alert, your security detail was pulled out to make it easy to carry out and Dumpit is already dead,” read a portion of the text message.

Last Monday, Cadungog survived what he considered was an attempt on his life, but police said his driver was the one who killed a police officer.

Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Debold Sinas named Cadungog, who is now a barangay councilman of Tejero, as the primary suspect in the death of PO3 Eugene Alcuin Calumba.

Calumba of the Parian Police Station was shot and killed after he allegedly fired at Cadungog’s vehicle around 8 a.m. Monday in Villagonzalo 2, Cebu City.

Cadungog said that Osmeña forwarded to him the text message, which was why he adjusted his daily routine before the attack.

Osmeña continues to blame the police for the foiled ambush of Cadungog.

“When the police said that it (Cebu) is safe, they’re lying. That’s what I’m saying a month ago, they’re trying to cover up something. It’s very hard when some of the police force is the enemy. But I’m not going to run away,” he said.

Osmeña also said he doesn’t intend to seek help from the national government.

Meanwhile, the mayor said that he will push through with his plans to fly to the US for surgery.