Friday, June 20, 2008 Tomas dares ‘reliable source’ to come out, support charges
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday dared broadcaster Bobby Nalzaro’s “reliable” witness to tell the caliber of different guns in the dark, as he pointed out what he suspected were “fabricated parts” of Nalzaro’s account of an alleged gun-toting incident last week.
Osmeña was impressed by the witness’ ability to tell the caliber of the firearm he supposedly brandished even without seeing the ammunition.
He also found it unusual that Nalzaro’s witness heard his conversation with the erring drivers whom he apprehended for violating traffic rules.
In his column published in Sun.Star Cebu last Monday, Nalzaro said he received information from a “very reliable witness” that the mayor used his pistol to knock on the vehicles when he apprehended their drivers for triple-parking in the Fuen-te Osmeña area last week.
A blind item published earlier identified the firearm as a 9mm handgun.
The incident is now the subject of an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas, after a Capitol consultant called the anti-graft office’s attention to Nalzaro’s column.
Also yesterday, Capitol consultant on information Rory Jon Sepulveda challenged Nalzaro and the paper’s editors to identify this “reliable witness.”
The lawyer thanked the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for taking cognizance of the reports that Osmeña allegedly brandished a pistol when he apprehended the drivers.
“We owe it to the Cebuanos (to reveal) what is really the truth,” he said, adding that the Provincial Government will be willing to help witnesses.
Sepulveda said he will be meeting with one of the witnesses who reportedly recorded the entire incident on his cell phone.
At City Hall, however, Osmeña told his version of the story but said he sees no need to challenge Nalzaro to name his source.
“I can see the agenda of Bobby Nalzaro. He’s losing his popularity so why would I boost it by commenting? I didn’t talk until the reporters asked me. He’s not worth it.
He’s a throwaway, disposable,” Osmeña said.
The mayor said he was on his way home to Barangay Guadalupe from a wake when he saw the triple-parked vehicles and apprehended their drivers.
He denied being drunk that time and using a gun to knock on the vehicle’s doors.
“There are times that I would be holding a gun but that night, I wasn’t. And by the way, under the law, I’m entitled to hold a gun,” he said.
In his news conference yesterday, the mayor showed reporters different kinds of firearms to point out that three firearms of different calibers can look the same, and that their caliber can only be determined if the ammunition is exposed.
“How can you tell the caliber until you see the bullet? How can you tell at night?
But that’s his very reliable source, he can tell a gun in the dark. But it’s also common knowledge that I carry a Glock 9mm and a Glock .45 caliber. Let his reliable witness tell a 9mm, .40 and .45 caliber in the dark, and I’ll bet he won’t get 10 out of 10,” Osmeña said. (LCR/With GMD)
