Identify corrupt workers, Osmeña asks consultant

The Cebu City Hall’s consultant on revenue protection is now facing a great challenge from Mayor Tomas Osmeña who asked him to help identify the corrupt city employees and to coordinate with him so that entrapment operations can be done against these “scalawags.”

Osmeña said he would be happy if somebody will furnish him the identities of the corrupt City Hall employees, especially those who ask for an amount in exchange for the release of the needed permits or certain documents that clients applied for.

Earlier, Frederick Rivera, the mayor’s consultant on revenue protection, said in his monthly accomplishment report to Osmeña that he had uncovered “questionable activities” at the Office of the Building Official.

Rivera explained that being the consultant of the mayor on revenue protection, it is his job to look for ways and means that the waste of funds, including the non-collection of the correct fees, is not tolerated.

In his report, Rivera said that while doing routine work at the OBO, the office that is tasked to grant permits for building construction, fencing, electrical works and some other related activities, he allegedly uncovered some irregularities that could possible lead to corruption.

Rivera claimed that OBO has lost an undetermined amount of supposed income because there are applicants for building permits who resort to “all means” just to have their application approved “despite the lack of requirements.”

But OBO chief Josefa Ylanan has challenged Rivera to be specific and prove his allegation.

“Mas labing maayo nga iya g’yod na nga probahan ang iyang report,” Ylanan said.

The consultant explained that an application for a permit will take from one to two months before it will be approved, which may be the reason why some applicants are forced to bribe the personnel who handle the processing of permit application.

Because of these alleged irregularities, Osmeña has even encouraged the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to intensify its campaign against the corrupt city employees, particularly if they are regular workers.

The mayor said he could not easily get these kind of employees out of the City Hall unless they commit grave offenses. — Rene U. Borromeo/WAB