Cebu City Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña admitted that death threats on Facebook are beginning to concern him and members of his family following the killing of Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz, tagged as a high-ranking drug operator.
But Osmeña said this would not stop him from pursuing his anti-drugs campaign.
“I do not make my decisions based on fear. I make my decisions based on what’s good for the city. And the city does not have a mayor for coward.”
His wife, Acting Mayor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, wants to discuss the possible augmentation of Tomas’ security detail, which for now consists only of one police escort and a driver.
She said the incoming mayor is not one who goes around the city with an “army” of bodyguards.
“As his wife, of course that bothers me. But again, he will just have to take precautions,” she said.
The police hierarchy has not received any formal request from Tomas for police protection, although they said they are ready to assign policemen to secure him.
Several individuals claiming to be Jaguar’s relatives have been threatening and bashing Osmeña on FB.
One said that it was because of his uncle that Osmeña won in the May 2016 election.
“Of course we are concerned but you know you just (have to) accept it,” Osmeña said laughing in a phone interview.
“We are fighting drug lords and I don’t pretend that there is nothing. We are after their necks, so natural (laughs). As I told them that’s life or that’s death. Whatever it is that’s the way it is.”
FB Comments
Supporters and sympathizers of the slain drug personality in Central Visayas brought their sentiments to Facebook by changing their profile pictures to black and condemning the killing of the 37-year-old Jaguar in an alleged police encounter in Las Piñas City last week.
Some of them lurking in Facebook left comments on the Facebook page of Tomas, threatening to kill him in retaliation for the death of Jaguar, whom they considered their “king.”
Cebu Daily News was able to see a number of accounts, most of them with black profile pictures, some with captions condemning his death, claiming that Diaz was a “good man somehow” and “RIP (Rest In Peace) the king.”
On the Facebook post of Gary Stifler, he captioned his black profile picture with, “Dili ka namo makalimtan Manoy.
Salamat sa tanan-tanan na natabang nimo (We will never forget you, Manoy. Thanks for all of the help) May you rest in peace, Manoy.” Stifler also used the hashtag #ourking.
Some wrote brief captions like “RIP to our King.” Jaguar, who lived in Barangay Duljo-Fatima, was allegedly a “Robin Hood” (heroic outlaw in English folklore who robs the rich to help the poor) in the community, who gave money to those who needed it.
A source said when her uncle died, Jaguar gave the family P100,000 to help defray funeral costs and as assistance to his family.
A certain Monique Dinawanao commented by criticizing the incoming mayor and called him a traitor, saying it was allegedly Jaguar who helped Osmeña win in the recent May elections.
A post said “sunog palang inyoha” (may your house burn), to which Tomas replied with his address and said, “Ali, (come) Do you think I’m afraid of you?”