AN emotional Atty. Reymelio Delute yesterday denied reports that he organized vendors in Barangay Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City as a front for his moneymaking activities.
Shedding tears before some members of the media, the lawyer lamented that what “disheartened” him was not being abandoned by Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), but the extortion allegations against him.
“The truth is that those allegations are not true. I did not extort from the vendors. Why would I make money from them when helping and defending the poor and oppressed have been my advocacy?” Delute said in Cebuano.
The lawyer made headlines over the weekend after Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced that the former is not a candidate of BOPK in next month’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
The pronouncement came after the mayor received reports that Delute and his team started posting their campaign materials in the area.
A photo of what appears to be Delute’s campaign materials posted on a gate in the barangay was uploaded on Osmeña’s official Facebook page last Friday morning.
The posters show photos of Delute and his three councilors with the words “Pundok Delute.” These also have the official logo of BOPK.
Osmeña had admitted that Delute was identified with BOPK, having run for barangay captain under the party before losing to incumbent Barangay Captain Norman Navarro.
BOPK, though, has since blacklisted Delute for allegedly extorting money from vendors in the area.
During his press conference, the political aspirant told reporters he suspects executive assistant Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez as the person behind the allegations against him.
Aside from serving as Department of Interior and Local Government undersecretary during the previous administration, Fernandez is a known urban poor leader.
Delute said he may have provoked Fernandez’s ire after he started organizing the vendors.
“I suspect Bimbo is behind this. Perhaps he was threatened that is why they are accusing me of extortion. I can stand by that (statement),” he added.
SunStar Cebu tried to reach Fernandez for his comment, but he was not available as of press time.
At City Hall, Osmeña stood pat on disowning Delute.
“It was not acceptable. I put my foot down. I don’t want abuses from our ranks,” the mayor said.
He added that he is endorsing incumbent Basak San Nicolas Barangay Councilor Ramiro Tabada for barangay captain.
“I am entitled to choose who I will endorse. I can say who I like and who I don’t. That is why I ask the people just choose those that will help me change the composition of the City Council. I need to break the tie in the council. That’s my hidden agenda with a big picture window,” he said.