Wednesday, April 04, 2007 GO goes after CH workers in campaign By Rene H. Martel Sun.Star Staff Reporter
CEBU City Genuine Opposition (GO) candidate Jonathan Guardo is filing a complaint against Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) for allegedly using government resources and personnel in its campaign.
He alleged that over 200 City Hall employees were with BOPK candidates in their sorties, which include handshaking in the morning and pulong-pulong in the evening.
He did not say if all 200 were with BOPK at the same time, but Guardo said his party is listing the names of the City Hall employees to support the complaint they will file next week.
Guardo is challenging BOPK candidate and incumbent Rep. Antonio Cuenco’s reelection bid for the south district’s congressional seat.
He also said BOPK used the new Toyota Innovas issued to the police, to escort its candidates when visiting different barangays. It will be the opposition’s second accusation against BOPK.
Barangay affair
GO candidate and former city councilor Eugenio Gabuya is also filing criminal and administrative complaints against Cogon Pardo Barangay Captain Lyndon Fermo today.
In an interview yesterday afternoon, lawyer and fellow GO candidate Salvador Solima said they already completed the required documents for the filing of the complaint, but Gabuya and the witnesses still needed to sign their affidavits.
Gabuya alleged that Fermo harassed them by refusing to let them in when they were invited to a gathering at the barangay’s sports complex last Saturday morning.
Fermo, for his part, told the Pardo Police Station personnel that Gabuya and a certain Harry Iran harassed and threatened him during the incident.
He argued that the organizers requested not to allow candidates to join them, to keep politics off the affair.
Sought for comment on Guardo’s allegation, Rama said the congressional candidate’s complaint is usually raised against administration parties during elections.
He said City Government employees, mostly casuals, often volunteer to accompany administration candidates by leading the way in the barangays and helping arrange the pulong-pulongs.
Built-in advantage
And having police cars escort incumbent officials in the campaign trail could be considered as “built-in advantage” as they are leaders who naturally need protection.
“Pananglitan, ang mayor, dili diay nimo protektaran? Og madisgrasya na, mamayor na hinoon ko (Aren’t you supposed to protect the mayor? If anything untoward happens to him, then I get to assume as mayor),” he said in jest.
Rama said that it is the police’s responsibility to secure officials during political gatherings, as in the case when the President visits Cebu to meet her leaders.
In a separate interview, City Councilor Edgardo Labella said that casual employees, specifically those in the councilors’ offices, are not covered by civil service rules and can therefore participate in partisan activities.
Non-partisan rule
And unlike those with career civil service eligibility, they are coterminous with the officials and their services can even be terminated with or without cause, he added.
Labella, a former ombudsman 7 director, heads the council committee on laws, ordinances, public accountability and good governance.
But Guardo said that while they may be considered BOPK supporters, Rama was referring to government employees who are supposed to be non-partisan.
“This is a warning to government employees that they have to be non-partisan, as what they are doing violates the Omnibus Election Code,” he said.
He said the GO already has an initial list of the City Hall employees’ names, and is verifying the identities of the rest of the employees whom they saw helping in BOPK sorties.
