Osmeña offers Tumulak deputy mayorship

CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is offering Councilor David Tumulak the position of deputy mayor for police.

“If he (Tumulak) is open, I am willing to consider working with him. Why not? In my opinion, Dave has no future in the other group. He has no ability to be creative. Maayo lang sila mangita og sala (They are just good at finding faults),” Osmeña said.

Last Thursday, Tumulak announced that he was leaving Team Rama but was not joining Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK), but would rather remain independent.

Tumulak is currently the chairman of the peace and order committee of the Cebu City Council.

The mayor added, “I obviously have a PR problem with the police. So, yes, he’ll focus on the police, not peace and order, just police.”

The mayor and the councilor have not yet talked since Tumulak’s announcement.

Osmeña said that he wants to give Councilor Sisinio “Bebs” Andales, who is currently deputy mayor for peace and order, a special assignment — the decongestion of the Cebu City jail.

“Deputy mayors are a statement, that you represent me in that area of concern,” Osmeña said.

Meanwhile, former Cebu City mayor Michael Rama and Team Rama head, said he wishes the best for Tumulak.

“I have never seen this coming but for me, personally, I always have a rule: politics is a game of the unexpected,” Rama said.

Sought for comment regarding Tumulak’s decision, Councilor Margot Osmeña said she was not surprised, as she described her working relationship with Tumulak as “cordial”.

She also recalled that Tumulak was once a part of BO-PK and that her husband, Tomas, was the one who recognized Tumulak’s “passion and ability” and encouraged him to get involved.

“Politics being in the way, we went different ways, but we still joke with each other,” Councilor Osmeña said.

Councilors Tumulak and Osmeña clarified that “there were no offer, requests and deal” for Tumulak to join BO-PK. Tumulak also said joining a political party is a second priority.

“Dave is number one councilor, so he knows what he is doing. He knows the consequences of what he is doing. In the end, the decision is his,” Margot added.

Asked whether BO-PK would woo Team Rama councilors, Margot said, “We don’t court. It is up to them. It’s the way it is.”

Tumulak’s leaving Team Rama shocked many of his colleagues like Councilors Raymond Garcia and Jose Daluz III who said that they didn’t see it coming.

Councilor Daluz III earlier said despite Tumulak’s exit from Team Rama, he will retain his committee chairmanship.