RECENTLY suspended Toledo City Mayor John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña, is taking the time off to go on a nice vacation to Europe.
Interviewed by Cebu Daily News, Osmeña said that he would step down from his post after the office of Ombudsman meted him a one-year suspension for grave abuse of authority.
“Akong plano mo bakasyon adto Europe (My plan is to have a vacation in Europe),” he said.
Vice Mayor Antonio Yapha Jr. will take over the city while he is away, Osmeña said.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said Osmeña was ordered suspended for the administrative offense of grave abuse of authority for refusing to release the P17,733,264.80 quarterly real property tax (RPT) shares of Barangay Daanlungsod, covering the last two quarters of 2014 and for the fiscal year of 2015.
Osmeña said he did not release the RPT shares of the barangay due to a pending case filed by Barangay Sangi against Daanlungsod.
But Daanlungsod Barangay Captain Jose Letrago said the case between his village and Sangi has already been resolved on August 1, 2008 through the Sanguniang Panlungsod.
An appeal filed by Sangi was also denied by the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Letrago said.
Letrago said that Osmeña’s refusal to release their RPT affected Daanlungsod “100 percent” as they were unable to have any new projects.
The salaries of barangay workers also suffered from huge cuts, Letrago said.
“Naka-receive mi og salary pero dako kaayo og deperensiya. Gamay nalang (We were able to receive our salaries but there was a huge difference. It came out very little),” he said.
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