TOLEDO City Mayor John "Sonny" Osmeña said he's not worried over the raising of hands of two of his political opponents in Cebu's third district by President Rodrigo Duterte in the PDP-Laban rally in Cebu last February 24. "We politicians raise just anybody's hands," he said in Cebuano-Bisaya. "What we should worry about is whether money went with the hand-raising. I haven't seen any yet."
Asked by former vice governor and broadcaster Nanding Celeste on radio about how he felt (as of Sunday, March 3) on his chances to win in the race for congressman, Sonny said he was "very comfortable." He said he would win heavily in Toledo City, Asturias and Tuburan and was gaining headway in the rest of the district. His rivals could say, "We politicians always see victory."
Speaking on Celeste's program "Pangutana," Sonny denied again that he offered to pay at least P50 million for Gaye Yapha to withdraw in the congressional fight. Instead, he charged, it was Yapha's lawyer who made the offer to his lawyer. Gaye suspected that Sonny was responsible for the "Withdraw or die!" note sent with a couple of handgun bullets to Gaye. Allegation, denial, with no independent person or body to assess their clashing claims.
Sonny said Gaye's withdrawal wouldn't assure that her supporters would vote for him. He didn't say that her candidacy would hurt his chances. To Sonny, it is a "one-on-one" fight in the third district. Meaning, it is just between him and former congressman Pablo John Garcia.
Joy Pesquera's complaint
Councilor Joy Pesquera, candidate for congressman under Partido Barug in Cebu City's south district, has filed a complaint for cyber libel with the city prosecutor's office against Mayor Tomas Osmeña for calling her a member of "Team Suyop."
She feels libeled by Tomas. How could she tell the young and other people to avoid drugs if she is branded as a user by the mayor, she asked. While the mayor didn't specify what she and her colleagues in Barug take or "suyop," it must refer to President Duterte's accusation linking their party leader, former mayor Mike Rama, to illegal drugs.
Joy was scandalized before by some of Mayor Osmeña's posts on Facebook. In November 2017, Pesquera publicly protested over a hashtag that went with accusation that Team Rama councilors obstructed his efforts to remove the stink at the Inayawan landfill. The offensive line said: "TeamRamaBaho'gB**at."
Tomas disowned the line, saying someone else put it there and he would have it removed. Joy retorted that as owner of the FB account, the mayor was responsible for its content. The reference to the smell of women's sex organ was offensive to all women, Joy said. But she did not sue over that. She is now suing over "Suyop."
Compare that with "KK"
In contrast, in Mandaue City, a candidate for mayor is called "kawatan" (thief) and "kurakot" (corrupt), repeatedly and so many times the listener loses count. The candidate is named (by his first name), the accusation is set to classical music, and commentary that precedes or follows the "KK" jingle identifies the public official referred to.
And yet the aggrieved candidate is not suing, at least not yet. His propagandists are hitting back with the "BB" ("baboy butakal") tirade against the rival aspirant.
In Cebu City, on the other hand, a city councilor (second item, above) filed a complaint Friday, March 1, over the less offensive word "suyop."
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