Turning tables on the city council: Tomas bars department heads from Team Rama-led session

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will not allow his department heads to appear in an executive session called by the Team Rama-dominated City Council.

Osmeña is apparently treating the opposition what exactly former Mayor Michael Rama, his political arch-nemesis, did during that time when Osmeña's Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan dominated the City Council.  After the May 9 elections, the tables had been turned, with Osmeña as mayor but with the opposition controlling the City Council.

"I will allow media to talk to them (executive officials) anytime. They are not under restrictions for the sake of public transparency. But the (City) Council? No," Osmeña told reporters before he left the country for his vacation and birthday celebration in Japan.

Osmeña said the executive session called by the City Council would only lead to "grandstanding and witch-hunting."

Last year, Rama barred executive officials from attending the executive session called by the then BOPK-dominated City Council to discuss financial concerns regarding the city's garbage collection.

This year, the first executive session called by the City Council is about the "controversial" arrest of Labangon Councilman Rodolfo Tabasa last month. The council wanted to know who ordered the arrest and the grounds of the arrest.

The council invited Ronal Malacora, officer-in-charge of the city's General Services Office, to appear in an executive session last week. But, Malacora declined, saying he needs approval from the mayor to appear in the said session.

Tabasa was arrested last month reportedly for his failure to return to City Hall the vehicle issued to Barangay Labangon in violation of the memorandum of then acting mayor Margarita Osmeña that recalled city-issued vehicles for inventory.

"I will allow them to talk with the media because I think you are more reasonable. Ila man grandstanding, witch-hunting. Ayaw nalang," the mayor said.

A second executive session called by the City Council will tackle Tomas'executive order creating the city's Long-Life Medical Assistance Program. Under the executive order, the mayor wanted to create a Barangay Mayor's Office.

But, the creation of the office was bombarded with questions from Team Rama City Councilors, who said it is just a "duplication" of the City Health Department.

Sought for his comment, Tomas said he will just change the name into the "City Hall at your door step," an initiative of Rama's administration in bringing basic services close to the people.

When asked if he was serious, laughing Osmeña said "Why not?!", adding that he would let Team Rama councilors question the initiative of Rama.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, for his part, told members of the City Council that the legislative body has no power to impose on the executive officials who will willfully disobey the invitation to attend the exe-cutive session.

City Councilor Jose Daluz III, saying it is different when the executive session is a budget review because executive officials are mandated to attend and defend the budget. (FREEMAN)