As team Rama eyes charges: Mayor sorry for FB post

CEBU, Philippines — Mayor Tomas Osmeña has apologized for a Facebook post that members of opposition party Barug Team Rama described as offensive.

The post, which has been taken down, contained a hashtag that likened members of Barug Team Rama to female genitalia that smells badly.

The controversial post generated 4,000 likes from Osmeña’s Facebook followers.

Yesterday, Osmeña apologized for the post but said he was not the one who posted the same. He said he will call the attention of the one who did.

“No comment on how I manage my internal…  I apologize for that and I will take it down,” he told reporters.

The first part of the controversial post pointed out how Barug Team Rama members tried to block the move to purchase deodorizers to control the stench from the landfill in Barangay Inayawan.

Spraying the deodorizer is part of the establishment of a Material Recovery Facility at the landfill.

The post on Osmeña’s Facebook account read:

“We are addressing the smell in Inayawan and, of course Team Rama tries to block it (read the article). Fortunately, we still maintain the majority in the council. This isn’t even coming out of the city’s funding. PAGCOR has generously allocated funding to pay for it. But Mr. Rama’s allies don’t care. They just want the people of Inayawan to suffer so they can blame mayor for the landfill still smelling like bahog -----.”

Below this text was the controversial hashtag.

The text was also accompanied by a photo of an article of The Freeman on the landfill, as well as a screenshot of a video of a woman that went viral on social media. The video went viral because of how the woman narrated how her enemy described the smell of her genitals.

Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, a member of Barug Team Rama, said the post was inappropriate, considering it was posted in the account of an elected official.

“It’s really below the belt literally and figuratively. Mas maayo man nga iyaha na gibuhat kay nagpaila lang gyud siya unsa siya nga klase nga taw… And to a point nga moabot siya ana nga level, sorry for him, we don’t want to stoop to his level nga gutter language. Wala na nauso namo,” Pesquera said.

“What he (Osmeña) did is an insult not only to me but also sa mga kababayehan,” she added.

She said the mayor is still responsible for his account even if someone else posts materials for him.

“Bisan nag moingon siya nga somebody used or typed that one for him, nakabutang man gud that he is very proud that his account is verified. So when your account is verified, it means you are responsible for whatever statements that would come out, whether it was typed by his son, another person, typed by his staff. He is responsible for what he said,” Pesquera said.

Another vocal critic of Osmeña, Councilor Pastor Alcover, Jr., described the post as being in bad taste.

“Bastos gyud na. bastos gyud na ang iyahang gihimo. Ang problema man gud, dako kaayo na nga binastos nga coming from the executive… dunay issues nga legitimate kaayo unya sagulan og mga binastos,” he said.

Barug Team Rama members are studying possible charges they will file against Osmeña. (FREEMAN)