THE Cebu City councilor who is rumored to be having an extra-marital affair with a City Hall employee will have to face and explain himself to Acting Mayor Michael Rama and Acting Vice Mayor Hilario Davide III.

After other councilors were dragged into the controversy and the allegations drew criticisms from the opposition, Rama and Davide said they will both talk to the councilor to clarify the alleged affair, which is already affecting other councilors.

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“By Monday, I will have to confront him because supposedly, he’s the one who should be answering all of this... If it’s not true, then he should come out to clarify things and if it is true, he should admit it in public and he will have to explain,” Rama said.

The councilor sent a text message explaining the incident to the acting mayor and vice mayor, but both declined to disclose the message.

Sun.Star Cebu has been trying to call the councilor for comment, but the calls made to his mobile phone were not answered.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña, in a text message yesterday, said he will let Rama handle the issue.

He said the matter will test Rama’s leadership skills.

But Rama said yesterday that he will give the councilor a chance to answer the allegations.

“Mas ganahan ko na siya ang musulti ninyo. If he won’t, then ako ang musulti (I would prefer it if he answers you himself, but if he won’t, then I’ll speak up),” said Rama.
In a separate interview, Davide said he also plans to discuss the matter with the councilor when he gets back from Manila tomorrow.

The councilor is said to be having an affair with a member of the Mayor’s Management Team. According to talks circulating at City Hall, the wife hit the councilor with a bucket when she caught him visiting the MMT in her boarding house.

Without a formal complaint against the councilor or the MMT staffer, Davide said it is difficult for them to investigate the matter.

“Nabutang gyud mi sa alanganin ani. If I were him, I would just go public about it. That’s what’s happening now, other councilors are being dragged into the issue because he has not been named in news reports. So kaming tanan involved gyud. Lain paminawon (It sounds bad),” he told Sun.Star Cebu.

Davide said that other city councilors have also asked him how they will handle the matter, and also preferred for the councilor concerned to face the issue.

Last Saturday, businessman Jonathan Guardo of the opposition called on the councilor to resign from his post, saying that he has besmirched the reputation of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan party.

He also called on the administration to answer the immorality issues raised against their colleague, but Rama said he will not bother reacting to Guardo’s statements, saying there are more important issues to focus on.