SCOFFING at businessman Jonathan Guardo’s questions about his lifestyle, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he does not have to explain anything about his income, which he reports to the anti-graft office every year.

The mayor said yesterday that he doesn’t have to answer the issues raised by Guardo, who earlier asked how Osmeña is able to afford his “lavish” lifestyle with a P30,000 monthly income.

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“I have not seen my salary, you ask my wife. I file a statement of assets and liabilities every year, and it’s a matter of public record. So why do I have to answer that? I
also file my statement of expenses every election,” said Osmeña, who posted a net worth of P3.5 million as of June this year.

Guardo, who will face Osmeña in the south district congressional race next year, also asked where the mayor got the money to fund the campaign of Bando Osmena Pundok Kauswagan every election year for the past 20 years.

In his news conference yesterday, the mayor said that unlike Guardo, he has friends who believe in him. And some wealthy Cebuanos and foreigners care enough for him and the City and donate for certain projects.

Transit

Some, he said, even pay for his trips abroad whenever he wants to explore new projects for the city, including his trip to Curritiba, Brazil in 1995 to check the Bus Rapid Transit system there.

“I know why he feels this way. It’s because he doesn’t have any friends. For him, it’s all about buying people, hatag kwarta, hatag payroll, hatag lungon, mangita pa gani siya ug patay. He really doesn’t have any friends. I have plenty of friends, many people believe in me, and some of them are very wealthy,” Osmeña said.

He reiterated that contrary to Guardo’s statement that he spends P500,000 for his family’s first class tickets to the US for each trip, he only pays for the standard fare but they are upgraded to first class by Cathay Pacific “because they know I’m sick.”

According to the mayor’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) filed with the Office of the Ombudsman last June, his annual gross salary from City Hall is P464,679 or P38,723.25 a month, but he declared an annual gross family income of P751,679.

Stock

He also indicated in his SALN that he is a stockholder in Happy Stars Promotion and Consultant Inc. and Southern Gems Fashion Inc. since 2006.

His wife Margot sits as president and CEO of the firm.

Osmeña’s net worth decreased from P5.1 million in 2007 to P3.5 million as of June, with new liabilities of P1.5 million in personal loans.

His list of assets include P660,000 in stocks, P3.45 million cash in bank accounts, and P350,000 in other personal property, including jewelry and furniture.