TALKING TO CITY HALL.
Councilor wants DILG to investigate mayor for memoranda
A crowd gathers in front of Cebu City Hall to object to some recent executive decisions, like stopping barangay workers’ honoraria. But the person they wanted to hear them out, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, was still in Japan on vacation.
CCUVA members, Barangay Ermita workers and officials cry foul over the mayor’s recent orders, including the recalls of Cityissued properties, closure of “unauthorized operations,” stoppage of cash honoraria to officials, workers allied to Team Rama Council Alcover, in a privilege speech, questions Osmeña’s issuance of “questionable” memoranda
WITH an asthmatic husband and three children, selling meat on B. Rodriguez St. in Cebu City was Leticia Taniola’s means of making ends meet for 24 years.
The 53-year-old has been a member of the Cebu City United Vendors Association (CCUVA) for two decades.
Last week, Mayor Tomas Osmeña ordered the closure of its office for allegedly failing to secure permits, among others.
“We’re going to have a hard time because the mayor is out to get us. I was able to send my children to school, but I don’t know about my grandchildren. I don’t understand why Osmeña is going after us, the poor,” Taniola said in Cebuano.
She joined hundreds of CCUVA members, village workers and officials of Barangay Ermita who staged a rally yesterday afternoon in front of the City Hall.
They cried foul over the recent orders of the mayor, including the recalls of City-issued properties, closure of alleged unauthorized operations and the stoppage of cash honoraria to village officials and workers allied to Team Rama.
Carrying placards, some of which read: “Mayor Tom berdugo sa mga kabus (executioner of the poor),” they circled City Hall, appealing for reconsideration and “a more humane directive from Osmeña.”
Appeal
A former supporter, 44-year-old barangay police Jesus Dibdib, told reporters that the Osmeña today is not the same mayor he voted for many times years ago.
“He has now become a vindictive leader and that’s not right. We’re voicing our causes here because our families are starving,” he said in Cebuano.
Felicisimo Rupinta, Ermita barangay captain and CCUVA honorary chairman, said that although the mayor’s currently out of town, they’re appealing to him to reconsider his orders, including the closure of the CCUVA office.
He also said he was disappointed when the mayor stopped the financial assistance to barangays, adding that this not only resulted to the loss of income but it also made the barangays “look bad” to constituents as their needs would no longer be provided.
“For my part, I’ve already sent him a position paper for us to have a compromise, but to no avail. I think this is already political. We’ll survive this because mayors come and go, but our group will remain strong,” he said.
Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., who urged people to join the protest through a Facebook post last Monday, met with the protestors before the regular session started and told them that “the fight for justice will continue.”
Osmeña posted a shared photo of Alcover’s announcement in his Facebook page, and called the latter a “coward.”
“And the dRAma machine is at it again. Mr. Alcover cannot even look at me in the eye, but he will organize a protest in front of City Hall, but only if I’m out of town. TALAWAN (coward). My office is open to anybody, but since he’s too scared to go there, I’m going to sit back and enjoy my birthday,” the post read.
Osmeña is in Japan for a family vacation.
Politically-motivated
During the session, Alcover, in a privilege speech yesterday, wants the council to ask the Department of Interior and Local Government to investigate Osmeña’s issuance of “questionable” memoranda.
He said the mayor intends to run after Team Rama-allied barangays to create chaos in the villages.
The council approved his motion.
Alcover questioned, among others, Osmeña’s move, asking Barangays Agsungot, Cambinocot and Babag to return the City-issued ambulances and mini buses. The three barangays are allied to Team Rama.
Osmeña had said the recall is only for inventory purposes.
The councilor also questioned the mayor’s executive order that establishes the barangay mayor’s office (BMO) in every the barangays that is tasked to implement the
giving of free medicines.
Alcover said he believes the mayor terminated the services of the BHWs so they can be replaced by the BMO. He said the BMOs have only been established in the 60 barangays that are allied with Team Rama.
As to Osmeña’s cutting the City’s financial assistance to Team Rama barangays, Alcover said the mayor is only running after them for not supporting him in the last elections.
Osmeña earlier said he needed to cut City Hall’s expenses since it incurred a P6-billion deficit in its operations last year.