Cebu City, Philippines—A Cebu City Hall security guard filed an affidavit against Engineer Mejilito Cajes, who filed theft and corruption cases against former Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
READ: Tomas, 43 others face Ombuds complaint for ‘demolition’ of Office of the Mayor
In a sworn statement dated July 9, 2019, security guard Joel Apostol said that Cajes, who is with the Building and Maintenance General Services Office, took the official seal of the mayor to be used during Mayor Edgardo Labella’s inauguration last June 30, 2019.
READ: Osmeña’s lawyer says ‘lost’ Mayor’s Seal was used during Labella’s inauguration
Cajes claimed in his complaint that the Official Seal was taken by the former mayor along with other items in the Mayor’s Office, leaving it stripped bare.
However, Apostol said he had recorded in the logbook an official entry of Cajes taking possession of the seal.
READ: A tale of two seals: Cebu City Mayor’s Seal controversy continues
Osmeña’s legal counsel, Lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan, said that, contrary to the statement of the City Legal Office that the lost seal was a new seal, there is only one official seal, the one used by Labella in his inauguration. /bmjo