Tomas won’t hire more bodyguards despite threats

Even with the death threats that he received, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he is not hiring additional bodyguards as he is not worried about his security.

At his press conference yesterday, the mayor admitted receiving death threats through a text message less than a month ago.

“Mayor be very careful. You and excouncilor 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. Beef up your security privately with the people you can trust,” reads the text message sent to the mayor.

Osmeña said he forwarded the text message to Tejero barangay councilman Jessielou Cadungog who took precautions that saved his life last Monday.

Cadungog survived the alleged “foiled assassination” as his bodyguard killed PO3 Eugene Calumba who reportedly pulled out his gun first.

However, police said Calumba and police asset, Michael Banua, who survived the incident, were conducting surveillance in the area.

With the incident of Cadungog, Osmeña said death threats are part of the hazards of his job being the chief executive of the city.

“I have to do my job. You don’t worry about these things. You should do your job. I’ll do my job. The people of Cebu voted for me. The protection of the people of Cebu is paramount, not mine,” the mayor said.

He did not disclose the possible personality behind the death threats that he received.

“The most important thing here is the safety of the people of Cebu. I put that ahead of my safety. And it’s very important to me that the people of Cebu should know what is happening,” he said.

“When the police say that it is safe, they are lying. That’s what I said a month ago. They’re trying to cover up something. It’s very hard when some of the police elements are the enemy,” he added.

Osmeña agreed with the statement of City Councilor Pastor Alcover, Jr. who said that the city is now a “criminal city” because of the spate of killings here.

The mayor said he will let Cebu City Police Office Director Royina Garma answer the series of killings when she comes back from her out of town trip.

Osmeña said he will push through with his planned trip on Saturday to Houston, Texas where he will undergo minor hernia operations.

The mayor, however, assured that he will be back in the city if there will be untoward incident that will happen.

“That’s my responsibility. I will not ask for mercy. I will not ask for 20 bodyguards like somebody. Don’t worry about me. The one that’s endangered here is not me, it’s Cebu. That’s the way I look at it,” he added.—

Jean Marvette A. Demecillo/MBG