Tomas dares critics: Show proof SRP launch political

CEBU, Philippines - Despite complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas, Mayor Tomas Osmeña will push through, as scheduled, the one week activities to launch the South Road Properties.

The mayor instead challenged those who questioned the SRP launching to show proof that the lined up activities are intended to promote the candidates of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan.

At least four residents of the city, assisted by lawyer Alfredo Sipalay, filed a complaint before the anti-graft office questioning the launching of the SRP a week before the scheduled May 10 elections.

The complainants, Rodolfo Pepito and Peter Onde Pepito of barangay Carreta, Fletcher Pinatil of barangay Camputhaw and Leonardo Abarquez of barangay Bulacao, claimed that the activities are designed to promote the candidates of the BOPK using people’s money.

They asked the anti-graft office to look into the mayor’s plan to hold the SRP launching and the BOPK Miting de Avance altogether because they believe that taxpayers’ money will be spent on it.

The complainants believe that the mayor’s plan for the launching of the SRP now is laced with politics because while the SRP was already completed several years ago, but Osmeña decided to only launch it during the last day of the election campaign.

They said the SRP launching is intended merely for the political gains of the candidates of the administration.

Osmeña challenged the complainants to prove that his plan to hold the SRP launching days before the May 10 elections is a violation of the election laws.

He also said that while the BOPK candidates will hold its Miting de Avance at the SRP on May 8 it will be held separately with the SRP launching. According to Osmeña the BOPK activity will be held at the former Kawit Island while the SRP launching will be done at the beach front of the lots purchased by the Filinvest Land Incorporated.

Besides the mayor said they are not preventing other political parties from holding their own political rallies at the SRP.

Osmeña believes that the filing of the complaint before the anti-graft office was politically motivated because it was Sipalay who filed it on behalf of the alleged complainants.

Sipalay, a resident of barangay Inayawan, Cebu City, earlier filed a case against the mayor questioning the latter’s move to close the SRP from the motorists.   (FREEMAN NEWS)