■ OSMEÑA DENIES HAVING ANY HAND IN DUMPIT’S TRANSFER TO BOHOL

Did Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña have a hand in the reassignment of his former closein aide SPO1 Adonis Dumpit to Bohol? Since last June 29, a certain Zenith Yang Borres has been posting a series of notes on Facebook implicating Osmeña in Dumpit’s alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade and eventual death. “Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña peddled influence to have SPO1 Adonis Dumpit reassigned in this central Philippine city (Tagbilaran, Bohol) after the officer developed psychological instability from probable drug addiction, his common-law wife says,” reads a portion of a note titled “Cebu Mayor Behind Dumpit Assignment in Tagbilaran” dated June 30. Borres also posted another note titled “Finding Dunmpit Increasing Liability, Osmeña Discards Him” last July 1. “Finding his former bodyguard Adonis Dumpit a serious liability to his political career and family, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña sent him away after a heated argument late in May,” read the note. Osmeña, though, remains unfazed by the allegations and called it fake news. “I don’t even know how he ended up in Bohol,” he said. The mayor reiterated that the last time they saw each other was when he assigned Dumpit as caretaker of Barangay Ermita following a crisis, and to secure a road rage victim last year. Not long after, Dumpit was sent to the Bohol Provincial Police Office. “I didn’t assign him to Bohol. Why will I assign him to Bohol?… How can I protect him in Bohol? I don’t have influence in Bohol. I can’t even name one barangay captain in Bohol. I just happen to know the governor (Edgardo Chatto) because the governor has been around,” Osmeña added. The mayor stressed that what he wants right now is to give Dumpit a “decent burial”. “Adonis Dumpit has rights. This is not a publicity stunt. I just want to give him an honorable and decent burial,” he said. Although nothing is final, the initial plan agreed by Dumpit’s bereaved family is to lay the police officer to rest at the Queen City Memorial Garden tomorrow, July 4.