Adonis Dumpit for Ermita barangay chief?
Of the three candidates he has in mind to take over, temporarily, as village chief of Ermita, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s favorite is obvious.
The mayor told journalists yesterday he’d rather have SPO1 Adonis Dumpit (in photo, right) serve as the urban barangay’s chief because the officer would give the City “our only chance to really clean up the barangay.”
His two other candidates are former city councilor Augustus “Jun” Pe and Tejero Barangay Captain Jessielou Cadungog.
It’s up to President Rodrigo Duterte to decide who will temporarily serve as Ermita’s barangay chief, after the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas preventively suspended Barangay Captain Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta and seven barangay councilors who reportedly failed to cooperate during a drug raid by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency last November. The preventive suspension is good for six months.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has endorsed three names to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) who will serve as acting barangay captain of Ermita following the preventive suspension of all their officials.
SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, former councilor Jun Pe and Tejero Barangay Captain Jessielou Cadungog were recommended by Osmeña to sit down as acting village chief of Ermita.
Of the three, Osmeña said Dumpit is his top choice, saying he is the most feared policeman among drug pushers.
“He is controversial but I know that the drug pushers will get diarrhea when he is there. This is our only chance to really clean up the barangay and the one I think who is decisive enough, and I hope the Cebuanos will support me on that, is Adonis Dumpit. I hope they will give it him,” Osmeña said.
When asked if it is allowed for Dumpit to hold the post since he is still serving as policeman, Osmeña said he doesn’t see any reason why it is not since both the barangay and the Philippine National Police are under DILG.
When asked about the matter, Atty. Rene Burdeos, regional director of DILG 7, said the mayor can always recommend since he is given the authority to supervise the barangays. However, it will be up to the designating authority to approve and appoint.
But appointing an acting barangay chief in Ermita is the call of President Rodrigo Duterte, an official of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) 7 said yesterday.
Lawyer Aisha Fiel Nogra, DILG 7 legal officer, confirmed receiving a letter from Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña with a list of three names. But she said it will be up to the President if he concurs with the list.
Nogra said there was no problem if Osmeña provides a list of names. But the President could either choose someone from Osmeña’s list or appoint a caretaker who has no affiliation with the Cebu City mayor.
The last time a Cebu-based local government unit was placed under caretakership was when former DILG 7 director Pedro Noval served as caretaker mayor of Compostela town after the Commission on Elections barred the assumption of the mayor-elect, vice mayor-elect and municipal councilors due to an election protest that was ongoing then in 2010.
Osmeña said his main focus in Ermita is cleaning the place from illegal drugs.
Osmeña said Pe is also qualified because he is a three-termer councilor who headed the anti-drug council of the City.
He was also the chairman of the peace and order for three terms.
If Cadungog will be chosen, Osmeña said he will take a leave of absence in Barangay Tejero and number one councilor Garry Lao will take over.
The mayor described Cadungog as a “tough guy” whom he believes no one can intimidate if he will sit as acting barangay captain of Ermita.
When sought for comment, Cadungog said he would have wanted to focus first on his barangay since they have problems with drugs, too.
The Ombudsman-Visayas has placed Ermita barangay captain Felicisimo “Emok” Rupinta and seven councilors under preventive suspension for six months after they allegedly failed to cooperate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency during a drug raid last Nov. 6.
He is controversial but I know the drug pushers will get diarrhea when he is there. This is our only chance to really clean the barangay and the one I think who is decisive enough... is Adonis Dumpit. CEBU CITY MAYOR TOMAS Osmeña