Tom unfazed by "Type Angry O Ko"

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña yesterday said the streamers ridiculing his person do not bother him at all.

“(That’s) freedom of speech. He can say anything he wants. That’s democracy. No, I’m not bothered at all. They insult me every day for the past 20 years, baga akong nawong uy,” he told reporters, in reference to Mayor Michael Rama, during a press conference at his house yesterday.

Although he did not personally saw those posters, his wife, Councilor Margot Osmeña, said the posters bore “Type Angry O Ko,” with a similar picture of an Angry Bird, were posted in areas like Mango Avenue.

Margot said these may be illegal as they were hung on electrical wires.

Osmeña’s supporters have been dubbed as “Type O,” to which the posters may have referred to but Margot said her husband is “not angry” contrary to what the people behind the posters appeared to be telling the public.

Cong. Osmeña just shrugged off the issue, saying there are other concerns that he has to focus on. He said he is not like his successor who has the propensity to react badly given the same situation he had.

“You put my picture? It does not matter…You can put anything you want,” he said.

“He does not like people to say bad things about him, but that’s not my problem. He has an ego complex. Because he is the mayor you cannot say anything against him. You can’t even challenge him,” he said.

Osmeña said Rama’s reaction is immaterial to him and pointed out that the important thing is that the people are already “enlightened” and they see what they need to see.

“Basically, he keeps on saying: Together, we can make things happen. But the people say together, nothing happened,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña said being a public official, Rama should be transparent and accountable. But he is just “not transparent, he is not accountable,” he said. He did not further give details to support his claims.

Rama was irked by a tarpaulin placed outside the Barrio Luz Sports Complex recently. The tarpaulin featured Rama and Governor Gwen Garcia’s faces with text that said “Together nothing happened” alluding to the land swap deal.

The mayor believed that the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) was behind the said tarps.

Rama earlier ordered the removal of “Type O” streamers from all government buildings after the said streamers were seen hanging from Cebu City barangay halls.

Meanwhile, Capitol Consultant Atty. Rory Jon Sepulveda clarified that the said streamers which featured Rama and Garcia are merely opinions and is not a basis to file charges since it’s not election time yet. 

“Wala na siya’y kaso kay opinion ra man na. Ang pangutana kung ti-nuod ba na (It’s just an opinion. The question is if it’s true)”, he said.

He reiterated that things like this can be illegal during a certain period of time. 

Once it is done during election period, it is already an unlawful election propaganda, which urges anyone to vote or not to vote for a certain candidate.

But with this case, Sepulveda said it is not campaign period yet and there are no certified candidates as well since nobody had filed certificates of candidacy.

“Technically,wala pa gyud (referring to the candidates for election). When this is done during election, it is an unlawful election propaganda already since we already have guidelines once COCs are filed,” he said.

He reiterated that malicious imputations of crime, vice or defect is so hard to prove since malice is a state of mind.     - THE FREEMAN