TomO charged over Dodge case
ADMINISTRATIVE and criminal charges have been filed against Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) mayoralty candidate Tomas R. Osmeña for indirectly receiving two Chrysler Dodge Charger as gift from Bigfoot Studios while he was Cebu City mayor in 2009.
Alfred Yann G. Oguis, officer-in-charge of the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office for the Visayas, informed Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama in a letter dated March 21 this year that they filed the complaint against Osmeña on Nov. 19, 2015, after completing their fact-finding investigation on Rama’s complaint, which was filed more than three years ago.
Osmeña was charged for violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and Presidential Decree No. 46, which makes the solicitation or acceptance, directly or indirectly, of any gift or favor punishable for public officials and employees.
Lawyer Janeses “Jade” Ponce, a consultant to the mayor, said Oguis’s letter and other documents were received by City Hall on March 23 but came to Rama’s attention only last Saturday. The mayor referred the matter to City Legal Officer Jerone Castillo and Ponce.
Osmeña refused to comment last night.
“I don’t see their point at all. Let me read it first,” he said in a text message.
Ponce, in a phone interview, said the Ombudsman’s complaint is the first step toward the filing of charges against Osmeña before the Sandiganbayan.
How the case will impact on the campaign of both BO-PK and Team Rama remains to be seen.
“This (case) is not for political purposes. We are just protecting the interest of the city,” Ponce said.
Rama filed the complaint against Osmeña on Sept. 18, 2012, about three months after deeds of sale were executed to transfer ownership of the two Dodge Charger to the former mayor’s sister Maria Victoria “Minnie” Osmeña and nephew Paulo Osmeña Jacinto.
The complaint was based on newspaper accounts of Bigfoot founder Michael Gleissner donating the two luxury vehicles to the former mayor.
Each vehicle, which Bigfoot bought for P1.55 million each excluding taxes, was sold on June 6, 2012 at P250,000 each to Minnie and son Paulo.
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