Tom: It is my right to speak vs. Rama

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña will not stop speaking against Mayor Michael Rama in public, because it is his right as a citizen.

The two political allies have recently been at odds when Osmeña raised concern about how Rama, his successor, is running the city. He also hit the meddling of the mayor’s girlfriend, former councilor Joy Pesquera, in the affairs of City Hall.

“Should I give up my Constitutional right to speak out? Why do Mayor Mike and (Joy) Pesquera want to silence me?”

This was what Osmeña said in a text message sent to The FREEMAN.

Osmeña has been very vocal against Rama’s management style and the influence of Pesquera and businessman-friend Rene Mercado on the way the mayor is running the affairs of the city especially in screening the City Hall employees.

Osmeña has long expressed his dislike for Pesquera even when he was still mayor of the city prior to handing over the reins to Rama after three terms in office.

Pesquera has asked Osmeña to stop picking on and bullying her boyfriend and said that she will leave Rama if only to silence the former mayor.

But Osmeña said that he will continue to keep an eye to Rama in how he handles the city even if Pesquera will leave.

The first sign of a falling out between Osmeña and Rama surfaced when the new mayor did not invite the BOPK vice mayor, councilors and Cebu City North District Rep. Cutie del Mar to the mass oath taking for the newly elected Sangguniang Kabataan and barangay officials, while opposition figures were invited to join the ceremony.

Osmeña also accused Rama of abandoning their leaders in the October 25 barangay elections and accused of him erasing the programs he implemented like the creation of Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN) among others.

Rama, a long time and one of the loyal members of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) since he started as city councilor in 1992, responded to Osmeña by publicly telling the former mayor to leave him alone and wait until 2013 if he wants to be a mayor again. 

Osmeña said he will not shut up and continue to speak out against Rama’s administration saying that “people know I possess special qualifications in analyzing City Hall” compared to Pesquera.

Osmeña added that he started to dislike the former city councilor when she intervened in City Hall operations even before Rama was elected mayor.

Some City Hall employees and the Mayor’s Management Team, which is one of the projects of Osmeña, reported to the former mayor that Pesquera has screened them and they were required to undergo an interview otherwise they will be transferred or they will be fired.

“Being a duly elected congressman for the city, I have the official stature. If Mayor Mike thinks that I should not be allowed to question him, what does he think of the ordinary Cebuanos’ right to know? Please be reminded that his first act as a mayor was to order department heads and employees not to talk to media. He can’t do that to me.

“Now even Joy Pesquera wants to do that to me? It’s simply not negotiable.”

Osmeña told Pesquera that her boyfriend has been “bullying the barangay captains and City Hall employees,” an allegation which the former councilor denied.

In a separate interview with The FREEMAN, Pesquera said that the former mayor is not raising any new issue.

“In reality, there is no new issue. Tomas is just rewinding issues way back,” Pesquera said, adding that she was once a consultant of the former mayor until June and that she did not mention all those things, because she already answered them way back then. 

The members of the group of BOPK, however, continue to hope that their differences will be patched up.

Vice Mayor Joy Agustus Young, one of the original members of BOPK, said the scenario occurred a lot of times in the past even during the time of Osmeña and former mayor Alvin Garcia.Garcia eventually left BOPK and organized Kugi Uswag Sugbo (Kusug).

Osmeña, who first became mayor in 1988 had Garcia as his vice mayor until he gave up the mayoralty in 1995 and named Garcia his successor.

Garcia handily won the 1995 polls and was re-elected mayor in 1998 then his differences with Osmeña became more evident.

In 2001, Osmeña challenged Garcia’s bid for a third term and beat the incumbent. There was a return bout in 2004, which Osmeña also won.

In 2007, Garcia’s party fielded then Lahug barangay captain against Osmeña for the mayoralty. Osmeña won a third straight term.

Last May, Garcia made a comeback bid, but lost to Rama, who was anointed by Osmeña as his successor.

The BOPK has also swept the city council race for several elections. — /NLQ (THE FREEMAN)