Thursday, June 07, 2007
PJ criticizes Tomas for giving Saavedra security
THE exchange of accusations between the Capitol, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, and businessman Crisologo Saavedra continues, and this time Osmeña is being criticized for providing security to Saavedra.
Congressman-elect Pablo John Garcia sees a “very clear conflict of interest” in Osmeña’s act of providing security to Saavedra, considering that Cebu City was also a beneficiary of the lampposts Saavedra has questioned.
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“Saavedra was very noisy when he said he could provide those lampposts at a price of P16,000 to P20,000, his basis for saying these were overpriced.
Why then, is he not as noisy over the lampposts in Cebu City, which was priced at P85,000 each, or way above Saavedra’s estimate? Was it protection for protection?” Garcia asked.
Lower level
Osmeña, in an earlier report, justified giving security personnel to Saavedra, citing that the businessman needs protection. The mayor said the decision was made at the “lower level.”
“The public smells something very suspicious about this. Why ask the mayor for security and not the NBI or some other proper police office? Why from the mayor whom he spared from the lamppost issue?” Garcia said.
Saavedra’s complaint on the lampposts had led to the preventive suspension of Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza.
“But remember, the lampposts covered not only Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, but Cebu City as well. And now Tomas provides him with protection so people will suspect whether this protection is not a two-way street,” said Garcia.
National laws
He said that Saavedra, who filed a plunder complaint against Capitol officials over Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) expenses, could not also brush aside as a private matter the issues raised against his private business because these involve following national laws, like the Labor Code and the Social Security Law.
A letter allegedly coming from one of Saavedra’s employees had accused him of not giving them their 13th month bonuses and not remitting their contributions for the Social Security System.
“If it is true and if he cannot disprove that, that is a crime against the public. He cannot say that it is a private offense because wages, benefits and social security are governed by national laws,” said Garcia.
The issue on workers’ benefits will also drive at Saavedra’s credibility, said Garcia, as he is questioning public transactions while violating the law in his private transactions.
Saavedra the other day amended his complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas against the governor and Capitol department heads to include what he says were P216 million in additional expenses for the CICC. (JPM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 7, 2007 issue)
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