Mayor to meet with Ermita officials soon

CEBU, Philippines — To ensure the continued delivery of basic services in barangay Ermita, Cebu City, Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he will call for a meeting with acting captain Efe Rupinta and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairperson Rica Jaime within the week.

In yesterday’s press conference, the mayor said he pities Barangay Ermita after its seven barangay officials, including Barangay Captain Mark Rizaldy Miral, were suspended for one year by the Office of the Ombudsman.

“I want to talk to them. I will support them. I really pity them. What can I do? I did not cause their suspension. I can arrange a meeting with them. I will support them for them to function properly. We will help them,” the mayor told reporters.

It was last Thursday afternoon when officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Cebu City implemented the anti-graft’s one-year suspension of the seven officials over their alleged failure to assist the anti-drug operations of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7 in 2016.

Aside from Miral, six barangay councilors were also suspended namely, Antonieto Flores, Ryan Jay Rosas, Alio Tamundo, Domingo Ando, Maria Buanghug, and Wilbert Flores.

Last year, these officials were also preventively suspended for six months.

Rupinta, daughter of slain barangay captain of Ermita Felicisimo “Imok” Rupinta, expressed her gratitude over the concern of Osmeña for the barangay.

However, Rupinta said the barangay only needs the city to process the honoraria of the barangay workers such as the tanods, lupons, and garbage loaders.

Yesterday, Osmeña said he will extend assistance to barangay Ermita except the release of the honoraria of tanods.

“The only thing in question right now is the integrity of the tanods. I will not support the tanods there. Remember, even with the killing of the little child, none of the tanods showed up. They were receiving honorarium from the city government. How come none of them showed up? But all other cases, we will support. I’m still the mayor of Ermita,” he added.

Osmeña said he will not give the honoraria of 20 tanods of Ermita this month.

Sought for comment, Rupinta said the release of the honoraria of the barangay workers will be on top of the list of her request to the city government.

“Kon tinud-anay gyod motabang ang syudad, kana ra gyod akong pangayoon nga mapaspas ang process sa sweldo sa mga trabahante,” she said.

Rupinta said the barangay is smoothly operating despite the fact that only two officials are working in the barangay council.

Miral, for his part, hopes that the Court of Appeals will grant his motion for an extension of the time needed to file a petition for review of the case against them.

Former PDEA-7 director Yogi Filemon Ruiz sued the Ermita barangay officials for non-cooperation of the anti-drug operation in 2016.

After serving the six-month preventive suspension last year, the anti-graft office meted them the penalty of suspension for one year without pay since they were found administratively liable of gross neglect of duty earlier this year. (FREEMAN)