Osmeña says he doesn’t trust Lapinid

CEBU CITY — Regional police director Alejandro Lapinid has only been in office for less than two weeks but Mayor Tomas Osmeña is not about to give him his full trust.

Reacting to Lapinid’s vow to bring back the glory days of Cebu’s Finest at his first command conference where he asked field commanders to intensify their war against illegal drugs and gambling, Osmeña said he doubts whether Lapinid will succeed.

Why? Because Osmeña thinks Lapinid is a "scalawag."

"I have no confidence in Col. Lapinid because I’m convinced that he is a scalawag," he said.

The mayor did not say why he has that impression of Lapinid.

"I have gathered information about Lapinid but I would rather not disclose them at this time. I’m biting my tongue for now," Osmeña said.

Lapinid refused to comment on Osmeña’s statement, saying he would rather focus on his job of fighting criminality in Central Visayas.

"I will not lose my focus on my resolve to rid Central Visayas of illegal drugs, illegal gambling and other forms of criminality," he said.

Not surprisingly, Lapinid found an ally in opposition councilor Jose Navarro, a bitter critic of Osmeña.

Navarro said Lapinid’s directive to police station commanders to arrest gambling protectors in Cebu is proof that he is focused on the campaign against illegal gambling.

Lapinid has given station commanders an ultimatum to solve the problem in three weeks or be relieved from their posts.

Navarro went on to question Osmeña’s ties to Rex Wakee Salud, whom he alleged to be a masiao financier and whom he claimed to have seen with the mayor on at least two occasions.

Navarro claimed he saw Osmeña and Salud dining together at the Cebu Plaza Hotel last February and that Salud was also a guest at the mayor’s birthday party at the Grand Convention Center recently.

The bad blood between Osmeña and Lapinid apparently started during the campaign period in last year’s elections when Lapinid was still the city police chief.

Osmeña alleged that Lapinid was offered P2 million by his political opponents to switch ballots during the elections.

Lapinid’s wife is a friend and classmate of Ninette Garcia, wife of former mayor Alvin Garcia, who lost his re-election bid to Osmeña.

Osmeña alleged that the "ballot switching" was carried out during the canvassing of election returns at the city health auditorium and that he got this information from policemen detailed there.

The mayor accused Lapinid of failing to pacify the rowdy crowd who marred his proclamation. He also blamed the police officer for not solving a grenade-throwing incident against election officer Simaco Labata.

"I believe in everybody. I don’t believe I am affected by intrigues. But once I know somebody who cannot be trusted, that is for the rest of my life," Osmeña said. — Freeman News Service