Tommy O raps Sonny for giving aid to NGO

CEBU CITY — Mayor Tomas Osmeña is contemplating on pressing charges against his cousin, Sen. John "Sonny" Osmeña, for allegedly committing infractions in giving dole-outs to a non-accredited and newly formed non-governmental organization (NGO).

"I will be filing a case against Sonny Osmeña and Totol Batuhan because you cannot give financial assistance to a private person. But he stiffs his neck up because he thinks he can bend the law," the mayor said, also referring to south district congressional candidate Aristotle Batuhan.

This, as the senator reportedly earmarked P9 million from his Priority Development and Assistance Fund to finance the healthcare program of Batuhan dubbed as Kahimsug Mo, Gugma Ko, implemented by the Pagtambayayong Para Sa Bag-ong Sugbo Foundation Inc., for residents in the south district.

Mayor Osmeña claimed that this violates the Local Government Code, saying only a local government unit can extend financial assistance to NGOs and people’s organizations for economic, socially oriented, environmental or cultural projects to be implemented within its territorial jurisdiction.

He said financial assistance is only allowed when a local government extends it to accredited NGOs, and when these organizations can present three-year financial statements and have incorporation papers with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

"That’s why I tell you that blood is thicker than water but love is thicker than blood. Sonny Osmeña has diverted about P60 million to Totol Batuhan’s bid to take over the district," the mayor said.

"Sonny hates Cebu City because the people don’t like him but Batuhan is (somebody) special to him," he added.

When The Freeman contacted the senator for his comment, he was agitated and, in effect, denied his funding at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).

Nevertheless, Batuhan, in an earlier interview, told reporters that his Pagtambayayong Foundation was registered with the SEC in September 1999 and that it has a tie-up with the VSMMC for its programs. — Freeman News Service