OSMEÑA
There is no love lost between Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the Philippine National Police (PNP) with both sides not bothering to conceal their displeasure from the other.
Osmeña- for PNP’s decision to replace his police chief, Senior Supt. Benjamin Santos last month; and the PNP – for Osmeña’s announcement that Santos’ replacement without his consent cost the PNP his support as he would no longer care about police operations from thereon.
Osmeña’s announcement cost him his authority over the PNP as the National Police Commission (Napolcom) stripped him of his deputization, largely for making that announcement.
But the Osmeña-PNP story does not end there as like old friends, who never left home, their paths are likely to cross again.
Osmeña is set to reconvene the city’s Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC), a special body tasked to coordinate and monitor peace and order plans, projects and other related activities.
PCAC was among 57 special bodies earlier ordered abolished by Osmeña effective July 31; however yesterday, the mayor announced that he will reconvene the advisory council any time soon.
Under the ordinance creating PCAC, the advisory council is to be headed by the mayor.
“I’ll just be a facilitator. I will not be a commander. I will just facilitate. Murag chairman of the board ba. I will just preside,” Osmeña said adding that he does not have a problem whether the city’s police force will decide to participate in the council or not.
“They don’t have to, if they will not join,” he said adding that he will not force anybody to join PCAC.
Sought for comment, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella told Cebu Daily News that he was happy with the mayor’s decision to reconvene the police coordinating council.
However, even if Osmeña was stripped of his supervisory powers over the city’s police force, the ordinance requires the police to attend every meeting and report to the city government on the peace and order situation in the city, Labella said.
“I’m glad that the mayor decided to reconvene PCAC. I do not have any problems that he will head PCAC because it is under the ordinance,” said Labella, who was appointed the chairman of PCAC during the administration of former mayor Michael Rama.