Cebu City Councilor Pastor Alcover (at the podium) delivers a privilege speech, during the council’s regular session, asking DILG to probe Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s recall of city-issued vehicles and firearms. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
THE Cebu City Council wants the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to look into the series of recall orders issued by Mayor Tomas Osmeña, of city-issued vehicles and firearms.
In a privilege speech during the regular session of the city council, Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., a staunch Osmeña critic and political foe, said the recall order would hamper the services given by the city government to its constituents.
“Kining tanan, nahadlok ako nga mamahimong hinungdan nga hingpit mahugno ang matag serbisyo nga gihatag sa kagamhanan sa Siyudad sa Sugbo nga moresulta unya sa kahigwaos ug kasakit sa atong mga igsuon ( All of these recall orders, I’m afraid, will be the reason that the services will fall apart and result to suffering among our constituents),” Alcover said.
He wants DILG Secretary Mike Sueño to investigate the reason for Osmeña’s recall orders in order to stop them.
BMO
Alcover also questioned the mayor’s creation of the Barangay Mayor’s Office (BMO), which he said will be a vehicle for the mayor to hire his own people, and was also the reason for terminating the services of the Barangay Health Workers (BHW).
The BMO was created through an executive order to put up a “satellite” office of the mayor in each barangay.
According to Alcover, this was clearly politically motivated because barangay elections are fast approaching.
“Akong hagiton si Mayor Osmeña, unsay buot ipasabot sa imong pagtukod sa BMO? Extension ba kini sa City Mayor’s Office? Di ba kaha, gituyo lang ni nimo sa pagtukod aron magkagubot ug dili magsinabtanay ang katawhan sa barangay?” he said.
(I challenge Mayor Osmeña to reveal his reasons for creating the BMO. Is this an extension of the city mayor’s office? Or is it intended to create chaos and misunderstandings among the people in the barangay?)
But Osmeña ally, Councilor Sisinio Andales questioned Alcover’s motives for delivering his privilege speech, knowing that Alcover was vocal about his being against Osmeña.
Alcover admitted that he was never convinced that Osmeña won the election.
Recall orders
Three weeks after assuming office, Osmeña recalled vehicles, including ambulances and mini-buses and firearms issued by the city government.
He also ordered barangay officials to return the money or whatever was left of the barangay assistance given by the previous administration, which was disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA).
Alcover said he wants a copy of his privileged speech to be furnished to President Rodrigo Duterte.