CEBU, Philippines — The ongoing conflict between Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and his chief of police has become too glaring for the public to ignore.
Osmeña and Cebu City Police Office director Sr. Supt. Royina Garma were among the public officials invited yesterday by the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission for the commemoration of the National Heroes Day held at the Plaza Sugbo.
During the more than an hour program, Osmeña and Garma were observed to have been trying to avoid eye contact with each other. In fact, the mayor did not immediately occupy the seat reserved for him in front where Garma was also seated.
Members of the media observed that Osmeña ignored the lady police official when he passed by the latter. Not a single nod or a greeting from each other was heard from both officials.
Despite the very obvious awkward situation between her and Osmeña during yesterday’s activity, Garma said she still maintains a good relationship with the local chief executive of the city. The police official said she is just doing her job and she does not want to take on the job of the mayor.
“I am just doing my job. I will not do his job. I will just do my job as a police officer, that’s it. If I have to liaison with Local Government Unit because it is necessary, I will do it but I will never do the job of the mayor,” she said.
Garma said it is very important to maintain good relationship with the LGUs to ensure that peace and order problem is addressed.
“It is very important and vital for the success of peace and order. Their political statement such as sabihin mo na, I trust the police is something that will help boost the morale of the police and the people will also develop trust sa police, you know it helps,” she said.
Osmeña refused to be interviewed by the media. In the past days, however, the mayor had been very vocal against the police.
In fact, he threatened to stop paying for the registration and repair of the patrol cars issued to the CCPO. General Services Office head Ronald Malacora, however, said he has yet to implement the order.
Malacora said he needs to clarify with Osmeña because he was told that the city and the police officials are meeting to discuss the problem.
“Naghatag siya (mayor) og order. Wala pa pod nuoy nasulod didto (vehicles) for repair. Ako pa siyang estoryahon og balik kon atong i-implement ang order,” Malacora told reporters.
Garma said she has not also received the formal order from the mayor as to the maintenance of the police vehicles.
“Maapektohan ang serbisyo sa publiko pero wala pa akong nakitang order,” she said, adding that there are 15 vehicles from Camp Crame for CCPO that will arrive soon.
The animosity between Osmeña and the police started after the foiled ambush of his political ally, Tejero Barangay Councilman Jessielou Cadungog, last July 30.
The mayor believes that the police are out to kill him and Cadungog. Prior to the foiled ambush of Cadungog, Osmeña claimed to have received a text message warning him and Cadungog of the supposed plot against their lives. Osmeña said the text came from his police sources.
Incidentally, one of the alleged gunmen who tried to ambush Cadungog was Police Officer 3 Eugene Calumba. The other was Michael Banua, a police asset. Calumba was shot dead by Cadungog’s driver and bodyguard, William Macaslang.
Police officials, including Garma, denied Calumba was involved in the attempt to ambush Cadungog. They claimed that Calumba and Banua came from a drug surveillance operation in Tejero when they were shot by Macaslang. This started the spat between Osmeña and the police, whom he blamed for the series of killings in the city.
Meanwhile, Garma has denied the rumors that she reported Osmeña to President Rodrigo Duterte during a private meeting in Cebu last week. Garma admitted meeting the president over dinner but they were allegedly just having “casual talks.”
“No, I don’t have to tell the president. What I told the president is ano yung kailangan dito and the situation of drugs,” Garma said.
“We just had a dinner…It was just a casual conversation and he gives us something to ponder and he inspire us to continuously eradicate drugs sa Cebu,” she added.
A source privy to the meeting told The Freeman that the president was mad after learning of the mayor’s threat to stop supporting the police. (FREEMAN)