Junjun didn’t expect council appointment
Renato “Junjun” Osmeña Jr. did not expect for President Rodrigo Duterte to appoint him as councilor of Cebu City.
“No, I did not. I would never assume or anticipate, it was offered to me. That is why you never heard anything from me. I don’t assume and presume. If it is meant for me then I have to wait for it. Even to me, it was a surprise,” he told The FREEMAN yesterday.
Last November 29, Duterte approved the endorsement of the United National Alliance (UNA) for Osmeña to take the pla0ce of former councilor Nendell Hanz Abella.
Two months before that, UNA Chairman Jejomar Binay signed the certification nominating Osmeña to replace Abella.
Abella resigned from the City Council to pursue a career with the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
“By virtue hereof, you may qualify and enter upon the performance of the duties of the office, furnishing this Office, the Civil Service Commission and Commission on Elections with copies of your oath of office,” reads Osmeña’s appointment paper.
Unlike Osmeña, however, his political allies said they expected the appointment, including Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella.
“Yes, because he was endorsed by UNA and the procedures have been followed, the legal procedures, so we expected it was just a matter of time,” he said.
Osmeña said he will have to find his way around the council first once he receives a certified copy of his appointment paper.
“The top priority, number one, I would like to learn first and feel the flow sa council and then whatever I could be part of, whatever committee that will be assigned to me, I would play a role. I cannot say I want this, I want that. I have to observe first. I don’t want to speak nya dili mahitabo,” he said.
He said he is a team player who would prefer to help look for solutions rather than blaming others for a problem.
“We will not talk about problems but solutions. I am more of a person who is a team player ba; dili nako ganahan mo-ponder sa problema kay dili ta moisbog ana,” he said.
Labella said he himself would teach Osmeña gladly about the fundamentals of legislation.
The vice mayor said Osmeña’s presence is an equalizer because the two local political groups there now have an equal number of members.
Barug Team Rama councilors have Osmeña, Raymond Alvin Garcia, Joel Garganera, Jose Daluz III, Jocelyn Pesquera, Pastor "Jun" Alcover, Eduardo Rama, and exofficio Phillip Zafra.
Meanwhile, the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), the camp of Mayor Tomas Osmeña, has Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, Sisinio Andales, Joy Augustus Young, Mary Ann Delos Santos, David Tumulak, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Alvin Arcilla, and Jerry Guardo.