Osmeña backs PDEA in lieu of city police

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas will get the financial and logistical support from the Cebu City government that would have been given to the city police had there been no fallout between Mayor Tomas Osmeña and the Philippine National Police hierarchy.

Osmeña said he was grateful that a Cebuano was designated as the new director of PDEA-7.

"It will go to PDEA because they got the new commander who's from Cebu who gets loyal treatment with me," Osmeña said.

Yogi Felimon Ruiz, a native of Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City, was designated as the new PDEA-7 director effective July 28. He replaced Ronald Allan Ricardo.

The mayor said each of the PDEA-7 personnel will get P4,000 monthly allowance from the city government effective immediately. He will also give the anti-narcotics agency at least two service vehicles.

Ruiz said he did not expect to get such favor from Osmeña, who earlier said that he will no longer support the anti-drug campaign of the police following the relief of former city police director Senior Superintendent Benjamin Santos and former Police Regional Office-7 director Chief Superintendent Patrocinio Comendador.

"Actually, wa ko ga-expect nga hatagan mi kay wala man sad mi mangayo," Ruiz told the FREEMAN.

The mayor is hopeful that Ruiz will be able to cleanse the city of the illegal drugs because he is from Cebu City.

 "There's hope because he's from here. It happened that we have commanders from here and they are doing well and they get somebody from Pasay City," Osmeña said.

The new Cebu City Police Office director, Senior Superintendent Joel Doria, is from Pasay City.

In protest, the mayor has stopped giving cash reward to the police in the campaign against drugs. He has also withheld the distribution of additional patrol vehicles to the police, as well as giving of cash allowance to the newly assigned policemen in the city.

Osmeña also threatened to recall all city-owned vehicles issued to the city police if the PNP will bring in new officer in the city.

 "Not really, but if they will bring a new officer here, I would take it away from them," Osmeña said.

Former mayor Michael Rama criticized Osmeña for his actions. Rama said he never withdrew the city government's support to the police even if he was not given the official of his choice during his administration.

 "Pila kabuok regional directors na wala nako, pila kabuok chief of police na wala nako, ako bang gikuhsan og honorarium, gikuhaan ba nako og gasoline, gikuhaan ba nako og sak-yanan? Wala. Pun-an pa gani nako, sila ray sige'g pangita og sala naku," Rama said.

Rama said he issued eight units of Toyota Hilux to the city police during his administration.

Rama linked to Leyte drug lord?

Meanwhile, a resident of Barangay Duljo-Fatima, who earlier asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate Rama for alleged act inimical to the public, has inquired from the anti-graft body on the status of the complaint.

Rama administered the oath of Albuera town Mayor Rolando Espinosa as the mayoralty candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) in the last elections.

The complainant was prompted to make a follow up of the complaint after learning about the news of Espinosa and his son, Kerwin, being subject of anti-drug operations in Leyte.

In fact, President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday ordered Espinosa to surrender within 24 hours.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Duterte is demanding Espinosa and his son to immediately surrender, "on the grounds of drug-trafficking and coddling."

An "order of 'shoot on sight' will be given if they resist and endanger the lives of arresting police officers," Abella said.

Espinosa's bodyguards were earlier arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Benolho. The police seized Jessie Ocarez, 34; and Marcelo Adorco, 40 around 237 grams of suspected shabu worth about P1.9 million.

Also arrested during the operation were Jose Antipuesto, 36; Ernesto Dumalat, 20; and Jeffrey Pesquera, 39.

"A mayor rubbing elbows with a drug lord is bad enough. Helping this drug lord win to become mayor is a glaring example of narcopolitics," the complaint said.

The complainant said it also caused for concern to be seeing Rama and his allies already having connection with the presidential assistant for the Visayas.

 "It is alarming that while Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella talks about investigation of the mayors and barangay officials of the places with high incidence of drugs, Rama and Team Rama barangay officials are now aligning themselves with President Duterte's Visayas assistant," the complainant's letter o the Ombudsman reads.

Rama said he does not have to answer the complaint because he has nothing to do with Espinosa except having administered his oath as candidate of UNA.  (FREEMAN)