Tom: Punish 8 dads for being “cocky”

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña says it is a good development that the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has asked Barug Team Rama councilors to answer the administrative complaint filed against them for not attending City Council’s regular session last October 3, 2017.

“Good, they’re so cocky. It’s a reminder of their responsibilities; they are being paid (by) the people of Cebu. It’s not a luxury, you have a job to do. And when you refused to do your job because you deliberately refused to do your job, they should be punished,” he said.

The Ombudsman has earlier directed the opposition councilors to answer the complaint filed by taxpayer Emma Gabutan, a resident of Guadalupe, Cebu City.

Named respondents were Councilors Jocelyn Pesquera, Jose Daluz III, Raymond Alvin Garcia, Joel Garganera, Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr., Eduardo Rama, James Anthony Cuenco, and ex-officio Phillip Zafra.

Last December 8, Gabutan has accused the councilors of gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, inefficiency and incompetence in the performance of officials, loafing refusal to perform official duty, which are grounds for disciplinary actions under Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991 and violation of Section 4(a and b) of RA 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).

Osmeña said the Barug Team Rama councilors should be punished under law for allegedly refusing to attend the regular session ignoring their responsibilities to their constituents.

He added that boycotting a session is not an appropriate way of showing their protest to Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan-affiliated councilor Sisinio Andales’ earlier move wanting exofficio Phillip Zafra to be out as a member.

“Lahi man gyud when you’re absent. It’s different but if you’re absent and you announced that you’re absent because you don’t want to attend because I don’t like the situation, then they have to accountable on that to the people,” Osmeña added.

Last October 3, the eight councilors were not present in the session in protest to Andales’ proposal to oust Zafra as a member in the city council.

Barug Team Rama councilors earlier explained that their act of not attending the session is not an act of abandoning their sacred duties as officials in the city.

“Our protest is but a manifestation of our strong commitment to upholding the independence of this council and the principles of democratic participation, public accountability, checks and balances, and the rule of law,” their letter reads dated September 28, 2017.

Osmeña then is hopeful that Ombudsman will rule in favor of the concerned taxpayer.

“It’s not (being) confident, I am just hopeful. The Ombudsman is very unpredictable but I am just hopeful because it should really be done. It’s bastos on the part of these councilors,” he said.

In a separate interview, Pesquera and Daluz told The FREEMAN they will be filing their answer in due time in order to defend their stand that they are doing it for good reason.

“Yes, I received the order… I will be filing a criminal case against Emma Gabutan because she claims to have personal knowledge that I was absent. When in fact I was not absent but on official leave,” Pesquera said.

Both of the councilors have already received the order from the Ombudsman dated January 24, 2018 asking them to answer the complaint.

The order was signed by Gaudioso Melendez, acting director of the Prosecution and Monitoring Office.

Daluz believes that the filing of the complaint was politically-motivated.

“Definitely it’s BOPK. Everybody suspects that and everybody is right. I heard the complainant did not know what she was even signing.”