Mayor Osmeña wants Garma out, Doria as PRO-7 chief

The word war against Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Police Colonel Royima Garma continues with Mayor Osmena seeking to replace Garma as Cebu City Police Office chief. | CDN File Photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s tirades against Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director, Colonel Royina Garma, is far from over.

Osmeña said that he would like Garma to be replaced as the city director because he claimed that Garma was allegedly behind the various police brutality and violence in the city including the strafing of the homes of four barangay chiefs in Malubog, Sudlon II and Sinsin.

Read more: House strafing incidents: Mayor Osmeña puts up P100K reward

The mayor accused Garma of allegedly conniving with the opposition slate, Partido Barug-PDP Laban, in allegedly threatening Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) members and supporters through alleged unfair treatments in checkpoints.

Read more: Tomas shows on FB presence of police checkpoint outside Guadalupe home

Read more: De los Santos challenges credibility of video on checkpoint altercation with police

He also accused Garma of allegedly being a protector of the illegal gambling business after a document surfaced linking Garma to alleged illegal gambling.

“Garma is the most influential police in the Philippines. I heard she is being groomed to be the next chief of PCSO (The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office),” said Osmeña.

Read more: Osmeña: Illegal gambling business protected, financed by Garma

Earlier, Osmeña challenged Garma to produce proof that she had been cleared of the allegations of illegal gambling.

The mayor also said that Garma’s campaign against illegal drugs had not made any change on the severity of the illegal drug trade on the grassroots level.

Osmeña said he would like former CCPO director, Colonel Joel Doria, to be back in Cebu City since Doria had a good performance as a city director.

Read more: New CCPO director assumes post

He even said that Doria should take over Brigadier General Debold Sinas’ position as the Regional Director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).

“The previous one (Doria) was already good. Why should we gamble on a new one? I think he would be better to replace Sinas, himself. I think we would have a better police,” said Osmeña.

Garma told CDN Digital that the mayor would have to ask Sinas to get her out of CCPO since it was the Regional Director who assigned her there.

“It’s not my concern anymore. Si RD (Regional Director) na ang bahala. Kung may instruction (to transfer), go ako. (It is RD’s decision. If I am instructed to transer, I will go),” said Garma.

Garma refused to respond to Osmeña’s claims on illegal gambling and simply urged the mayor to file the necessary charges against her.

Osmeña posted on his Facebook page on May 7, that he had filed charges of corruption and grave misconduct to the Office of the Ombudsman against Garma.

Read more: Tomas makes true of his promise; files admin, criminal complaints vs Garma

Garma said that her legal team would be acting on the complaint and she refused to comment about it./dbs