Osmeña to Ombudsman: I don’t have to explain anything

CEBU CITY – Mayor Tomas Osmeña appeared bent on thumbing his nose at the Office of the Ombudsman, saying he has nothing to explain to the anti-graft investigative agency which is looking into his controversial release of P32 million in aid to 61 barangays.

"I don’t have anything to explain to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has to cite first what law I violated," Osmeña said in an interview with radio station dyLA.

"I will instead ask them what is their point. Are they witchhunting?" he said.

He also turned the tables on the Ombudsman, challenging it go after the President herself who, he claimed, has been giving bonuses to certain mayors.

"When (President Arroyo) gave bonuses to mayors, why did the Ombudsman not go after her? Is the Ombudsman playing favorites? I challenge them to charge the President for that," he said.

The aid allocation to the 61 barangays became controversial on two counts. One, it was released without city council authority or approval, and two, it went mostly to barangays whose heads supported Osmeña in his bid to thwart a move by his critics to have him recalled from office.

But while Osmeña admitted giving the aid to barangays that recognized his authority, he insisted it was a disbursement that needed no approval of the city council because it was an exercise of his prerogative.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina shared Osmeña’s argument although he directed his men here to look into the matter.

Lina, here for a visit the other day, acknowledged that he too, while governor of Laguna, also had appropriations included in the budget intended as financial assistance to towns and barangays and that he released such an aid even without legislative authority or approval.

"I exercised my authority to release the funds even without resolutions," Lina said.

Nevertheless, Lina said he has ordered his regional director, Roberto Abejero, to look into the details of the allegedly unfair distribution of the barangay aid.

"From there, if there is a legal query, then I will render an opinion," he said.

The city council, dominated by Osmeña’s partymates, had said that while it approved the budget for the aid, it had the understanding that the release of the money would require a council resolution.

Of the 61 recipient barangays, seven got P1 million each, 45 got P500,000 each, eight got P250,000 each and one got P750,000.

"It is not discrimination. I am just reacting. These barangay captains want to recall me. They do not recognize me. So why should I recognize them? This is local autonomy in action," Osmeña said. — Freeman News Service