WHERE is Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña?
He may not hold press conferences anymore but he reports to the Cebu City Hall everyday, said his wife, Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña.
The question on the mayor’s whereabouts was raised after he has not faced a news conference for over a month now and he has not responded to a proposal by Councilor Dave Tumulak for Osmeña to negotiate with the parties involved in cases related to the South Road Properties (SRP).
Councilor Sisinio Andales said the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) councilors support the move of Tumulak and that their support is a party decision.
Osmeña had been vocal in criticizing SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI), one of the locators in the SRP.
In 2016, Osmeña filed a case against four officials of SMPHI for allegedly misrepresenting the size of its building in the SRP to reduce its tax obligation to the City Government.
“I think there’s nothing wrong with authorizing the mayor with whatever settlement. We want to have a clean title over the property. Whatever case related to our property, it will be annotated... Only fools don’t change,” Andales said.
He said the mayor is already aware of the resolution and had consulted his personal lawyers and the City lawyers about it.
Councilor Osmeña said that despite the mayor not holding news conferences, he reports to City Hall every day, unless he has out of town concerns.
Since Aug. 22, Osmeña has not been holding news conferences. Most of his announcements are done in his official Facebook page.
On the resolution of Tumulak, Councilor Osmeña said the request to negotiate will cover all cases involving the SRP, including the cases against SMPHI.
“Isn’t it what everybody wants, that the mayor will at least negotiate? As we know, anything that the mayor signs, the memorandum of agreement, among others, the mayor has to go to the Council to ask for authorization,” she said.
Asked on what will happen to the stand of the mayor that the sale of SRP lots to the consortium of three giant developers is illegal, the councilor said the mayor’s stand may not change but there’s a way of putting things together.
Opposition Councilor Joel Garganera said Tumulak’s resolution is to camouflage the real issue involving the SRP, which is the sale of 45 hectares of it. (RVC)