Tom O: Delute not a BO-PK bet for San Nicolas brgy chief

Despite being “disowned” by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña as a candidate of the Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK), Lawyer Reymelio “Dodong” Delute is determined to stay and be identified with the Osmeña-led political group.

Delute, who was one of the legal counsels of Osmeña during the 2001 elections, is running for the barangay chairperson’s post in Basak-San Nicolas in Cebu City in the May 14 barangay elections.

In a post on his official Facebook post today (Friday), Osmeña slammed Delute for putting up campaign posters showing that the latter is running under the BO-PK.

“Notice to the people of Basak-San Nicolas. Mr. Delute is NOT a candidate of BOPK in the upcoming barangay elections. Do not let his posters mislead you,” Osmeña said on his caption.

But in a phone interview, Delute said he is determined to stay with BO-PK despite the mayor’s pronouncements.

He said he had no plans to transfer to other parties even if he would be given a chance by being invited to join the other groups.

“I will respect his stand. I have no choice if that’s what he wants to say to the public. But I’ve been with BO-PK and I will remain in the BO-PK,” said Delute.

When Osmeña ran for the mayoral post in Cebu City in 2001, Delute was among his legal counsels during the elections. He also became a consultant in the city’s legal office, after Osmeña won, where he served until 2004.

But recently, Osmeña said he was cutting off Delute off from the BO-PK.

Osmena claimed that he had found out about Delute organizing vendors, and he suspected that this was another money-making scheme to collect money from the vendors.

“I cannot accept that and you know how I feel about that. But yes, he’s identified with BO-PK, but after that happened, I just cut him off,” the mayor said.