Makig-istorya ko; kami rang duha. Kung masayop siya, tamparoson tika.
For the second time, the President attacks Mayor Osmeña in public, this time for antagonizing police
President Rodrigo Duterte has directed Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año to file charges against Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña following the latter’s earlier move to release three butane vendors.
In a speech during a meeting with local politicians affiliated with the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) at The Tent in Mandani Bay in Mandaue City last Tuesday, Oct. 30, Duterte slammed Osmeña again.
“Lately maong nasuko gyud ko kay naay nangapriso, gi-adto nya sa istasyon. Gikasab-an nya ang police... Ang sabi ko kay Sec. Año, i-demanda mo (Lately, that’s why I got really mad because there were people arrested, and he went to the station. He reprimanded the police... That’s why I told Secretary Año, sue him),” Duterte said.
SunStar Cebu tried to get Osmeña and his wife, Councilor Margarita Osmeña, to comment on Duterte’s latest pronouncements but they had yet to reply as of press time.
But even before Duterte’s order to Año, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Royina Garma had already filed administrative complaints for obstruction of justice, grave abuse of authority, misconduct and violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees against Osmeña last August.
Recently, the mayor asked the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to dismiss the complaint for lack of probable cause.
The complaint stemmed from Osmeña’s alleged meddling in police affairs when he reportedly facilitated the release of three individuals arrested for illegally refilling butane canisters.
Osmeña is also facing a complaint filed by Land Transportation Office 7 Director Victor Caindec before the Office of the President for pulling out the traffic enforcers assigned to the underpass project site on N. Bacalso Ave. Caindec said Osmeña violated Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, and committed dishonesty, oppression, misconduct in office, gross negligence and dereliction of duty.
Duterte said he wants to talk to Osmeña.
“Ingna siya mobalik ko ug Cebu. Makig-istorya ko; kami rang duha. Mamili siya if sa balay niya, sa hotel or sa banyo, basta ganahan ko magstorya mi. Magdala siya sa iyang gusto ug kung masayop siya, tamparoson tika (Tell him I will come back to Cebu. I will talk to him; just the two of us. Let him choose whether it will be in his house, in a hotel, or in the comfort room, but I really want us to talk. Let him bring what he needs and if he makes a mistake, I will slap him),” the President said.
The event in Mandaue City last Tuesday, Oct. 30, was exclusive to some 700 PDP-Laban allies, but a video of Duterte’s speech was made available to the reporters.
Duterte said that he was angry with Osmeña for withdrawing support for the police.
“Galit ako sa kanya... Bakit? Kasi nung pag-assume niya, just because the gas and the vehicles were donated by the City Government, gi-withdraw niya. So akong giingnan ang DILG nga palit nalang ta. Nganong ing-anaon nimo ang
Aside from promising to meet Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña the next time he visits Cebu, President Rodrigo Duterte also said he will be endorsing his PDP-Laban allies in Cebu. Rep. Gwen Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district) and Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella were among the officials who met with Duterte late Tuesday night, Oct. 30.
police? Imong pagawson ang police, ipa patrol nimo nga way armas? Unsa may ilabay nila, iyang ihi? (I’m mad at him. Why? Because when he assumed office, just because the gas and the vehicles were donated by the City Government, he withdrew. So I told DILG we will just buy our own. Why do you do that to the police? You want the police to go out, to go on patrol without arms? What are they going to throw, his urine?)” Duterte said, making fun of the urostomy bag Osmeña has to carry around after a cancer-related surgery years ago.
Earlier, the Cebu City’s Department of General Services (DGS) clarified that support to the police was never cut.
DGS Chief Ronald Malacora reported that around P53.9 million worth of support has been given by the City to CCPO this year.
CCPO is currently using 89 cityowned vehicles. The City has also allocated close to P5 million worth of fuel for most of the police vehicles.
Another 84 Philippine National Police-owned vehicles that are used by the 11 police stations in the city are also getting their fuel supply from the City Government.
Meanwhile, in his counter-affidavit in Garma’s anti-graft complaint, Osmeña said: “There was nothing in the respondent’s actions that indicated misconduct or that he was abusing his authority as city mayor. In truth, he was merely responding to a request for assistance by his constituents who reported to him about the illegal arrest of the vendors and the illegal seizure of butane canisters.”