Pesquera screened CH staff

CEBU, Philippines - Contrary to what former city councilor Jocelyn Pesquera is saying, an employee of Cebu City Hall yesterday confirmed that Mayor Michael Rama’s girlfriend indeed interviewed some employees of City Hall.

An employee, whose name is withheld upon request, told The FREEMAN that then vice mayor Rama told the employees of their department to submit themselves for screening and interview with Pesquera.

According to the employee, the screening and interview by Pesquera will determine whether or not they will be transferred to other departments or retained.

The instruction was made by Rama after he was already declared the mayor.

“That is true. Councilor Pesquera is meddling kay pagkahibalo namo nga si Rama ang nakadaog pagka-mayor, first week of June naa man dayon instruction nga naay screening and interview adto sa conference room ni Rama,” the employee said, saying that he never showed up for the interview.

Due to that incident, Rama transferred him to another department of the City Hall. According to him, he could not be charged of insubordination because, that aside from being a Civil Service Eligible, who has worked at City Hall since 1992, he thinks the former councilor has no official function and has no legal personality.

“Why should I submit myself to her?”

The employee has since been returned to his department since July 1.

The statement of the employee was also confirmed by one of the employees saying that he was also interviewed by Pesquera.

“Everybody was waiting from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. aron lang gyud mi ma-interview ug ma-screen ni konsehal Pesquera. Mura’g gi-loyalty check mi ba,” the City Hall employee told The FREEMAN.

Sought for comment, Pesquera confirmed that she really interviewed employees and personnel, because she was asked by Mayor Rama.

   Pesquera further pointed out that Rama at that time has just started organizing and merging of the some employees and personnel of then mayor Osmeña and Rama’s staff.

“It’s not intervention and meddling kay dili mana decision-making akong gihilabtan. Nag-assist lang ko,” Pesquera said.

Pesquera said the interview was merely to know the talents and skills where the personnel and employees could be effective and be useful in their respective department.

Pesquera, who is a certified public accountant and a lawyer, reiterated that she is not controlling Rama.

But Rep. Tomas Osmeña, in a separate interview, told The FREEMAN that “the public is being kept in the dark and the non-disclosure is aggravated by the fact that Pesquera denies meddling in the city affairs.”

“Who is lying?” Osmeña said as he accused Rama of employing and setting up double standards in favoring Pesquera and Rene Mercado, who holds no official functions at the City Hall.

Osmeña already warned Rama that Pesquera influences the mayor’s decisions. The former mayor attributed Pesquera being the “mastermind” of Rama’s failures especially in the Rama’s stand opposing the land swap deal with the Capitol years ago.

The mayor said his distrust of Pesquera is one reason he asked his wife, Margot, to run as councilor in the city’s south district.

Pesquera and Mercado cannot also claimed to be part of Rama’s program — the public and private partnership with the city — saying that the city council has no knowledge of the partnership program of the two personalities.

“Isn’t this a conflict of interest since the city’s “partner” seems to also have an intimate, personal relationship with the mayor,” Osmeña said, referring to Pesquera who was been the girlfriend of Rama since the two were then both city councilors and the Rama’s marriage was annulled several years ago.

Mayor Michael Rama yesterday warned anybody who wants to discredit his administration by criticizing him even without basis because he is willing to die for the sake of sincere public service.

According to Rama he will not allow somebody to dictate him on how to run the Cebu City government, although he is very willing to listen to suggestions from anybody.

But Rama said that Osmeña should stop criticizing him and informed the former mayor that he is the one who is now trying his best to solve the more than a hundred problems in the city that was never attended during Osmeña’s leadership.

Rama showed to the reporters his list that is five pages long containing handwritten notes on various issues.

The problems involve peace and order, environmental matters, infrastructure like clogged drainage systems, health and some others.  

Osmeña, in a text message to The FREEMAN, answered Rama, saying “Ask him why with the hundreds of issues against me, why did all 20 BOPK candidates win the last two elections. He forgot?”

“With all the hundreds of issues, how many problems did he solve during the eight months that he was the acting mayor while I was sick in the United States. He forgot? Instead the barangay captains petitioned me not to select him as candidate for mayor,” Osmeña said.

For his part, Mercado said he accepted Rama’s invitation for him to work with the City Hall without pay because he loves to serve the public.

At present he is tasked by Rama to head the task force that will attend to the needs of the sidewalk dwellers. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)