CEBU City Councilor Margarita Osmeña will become the acting city mayor if suspension against Mayor Michael Rama, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and 12 other councilors will be implemented.
Osmeña, who is the majority floor leader of the City Council, is among the four councilors who were not impleaded in the administrative complaint filed by a lawyer against some city officials.
“I don’t have a choice and I will just do my job whatever happens. I don’t even think about it, lets take it a day at a time,” she said when asked if she is ready to become the acting mayor.
In a memorandum signed by Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., the Office of the President suspended Rama, Labella and 12 councilors for six months for abuse of authority after the City Government granted P20,000 in calamity assistance to all the officials and employees of City Hall in 2013 after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake and super typhoon Yolanda hit Cebu.
Lawyer Reymelio Delute filed a complaint before Malacañang, saying public officials fabricated themselves to become calamity victims to qualify to the aid.
Osmeña and Councilor Lea Japson were not included in the case after they abstained from voting on the supplemental budget that appropriated P83.5 million for the financial assistance of 4,200 officials and workers of City Hall.
Councilor Richard Osmeña was also not included in the complaint because he was absent, while Councilor James Cuenco was out of the country.
Copy
Sought for comment on how will the City Hall run with most of its officials are suspended, Department of Interior and Local Government 7 Regional Director Rene Burdeos refrained from discussing the matter since they have yet to receive the copy of the order.
Labella said he sees “crisis” in City Hall when the suspension order will be implemented since there will be no more quorum in the Council when they hold sessions.
He said councilors are elected and there are no other mechanisms on how they can be replaced.
Although he has yet to got a copy of the order, Labella also questioned the timing of the release of the suspension.
“I hope Comelec (Commission on Elections) will be independent, true to its creation. It should be insulated from any political pressure considering that it is supposed to be a constitutional body, though the chairman was appointed by the president who is supporting a candidate, but I am hoping against hope that it is insulated by any political pressure from whoever,” Labella said.
Not political
For Osmeña, suspension should not be tagged as political propaganda against Team Rama, the local political party led by Rama and Labella, considering that other Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) councilors were also included in the suspension.
BOPK Councilors Nestor Archival Sr., Sisinio Andales, Alvin Arcilla, Roberto Cabarrubias, Ma. Nida Cabarrubias, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Alvin Dizon and Mary Ann delos Santos were part of the suspension.
Councilors Dave Tumulak, Nendell Hanz Abella, Gerardo Carillo and Noel Wenceslao are among the allies of Team Rama who are included in the suspension.
Almost all of the councilors said they have yet to receive and read copy of the suspension order, but they are willing to follow it.
Sensitivity
Dizon said that although he used his P20,000 cash assistance to help his family in Ormoc City, which was also badly affected by the typhoon, he decided to return the amount to the City Government out of sensitivity to the growing negative public opinion and the cloud of doubt on the legality of the calamity aid.
Archival said he will abide by the order and will use period when they will be suspended for his campaign.
Tumulak will also do the same, saying he will campaign more for his whole team to be able to win and prove that they did not done wrong on the release of public funds.
“Even though I am suspended, I will still continue to serve the people of the City of Cebu in my own little ways as a volunteer. Like being a paramedic, driver of the ambulance and a responder in times of disaster,” he said.