Casas fights back: Accuses Osmeña of ‘overpricing’

By: Delta Dyrecka Letigio - 5 years ago

A purchase order which former mayor Tomas Osmeña signed on January 28, 2019.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Administrator Floro Casas Jr. released documents showing the purchase of “overpriced” sardines and other canned goods during the administration of former mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Casas alleged that Osmeña authorized the procurement of sardines at P27 per can and rice at P2, 800 per sacks of 50 kilos even if its actually cost was only P22 per can while the rice was priced at P2, 450 per sacks of 50 kilos.

The Osmeña administration, he said, also bought beef loaf at P55 per can.

Casas issued his accusations in retaliation to Osmeña’s earlier claims on the purchase of overpriced relief goods which the city government distributed to families affected by the coronavirus disease 2019.

Read: Osmeña hits Labella on ‘overpriced’ relief goods

The former mayor claimed that purchases made by the administration of Mayor Edgardo Labella exceeded the price freeze set by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Casas said that if there is someone guilty of overpricing, that would be Osmeña.

“If the former mayor, Tomas Osmeña, mo-accuse siya namo nga corrupt mi kay P22 ang amoang sardinas karon, mas samot siyang corrupt kay P27 ang iyahang sardinas. He’s asking us to explain. Unsaon man niya pag-explain ang iyahang P27?” said Casas.

(If the former mayor, Tomas Osmeña, would accuse us of being corrupt for purchasing sardines at P22 per can, he is worst because he bought sardines at P27 per can [during his administration.] He’s asking us to explain. How will he explain the P27 per can of sardines [which he bought?])

But Lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan, Osmeña’s counsel, denied Casas claims. He also questioned the authenticity of the documents which the city administrator released to City Hall reporters.

“We have ALL the purchase orders during Mayor Osmeña’s time. Sardines were purchased as low as 12 pesos during his time,” Ligutan said in a text message to CDN Digital.

“What is unacceptable is for Labella’s administration to purchase overpriced goods during the crisis, which is way above the cap set by DTI. It deprives our poor residents of the relief goods they need during this crisis. It came from them, not from us. That says a lot,” he added.

Procurement receipts signed by former mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Casa questioned Osmeña’s timing for coming up with his overpricing claims. It was done while Cebu City was in the middle of a pandemic, he said.

But would not say if they intend to take legal actions against the former mayor. He said that Labella wanted to focus his energy on the pandemic for now.

Casas assured Cebuanos that purchases made under the Labella administration complied with the government procurement process.

He said that the sardines which they bought were priced at P22 because it already includes the shipment cost. He said that supermarkets here needed to immediately ship the volume that they ordered from their suppliers. / dcb