Osmeña: I’m trying to build, Team Rama trying to destroy

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has slammed opposition councilors for supposedly blocking his projects and trying to snatch the city leadership to advance their political agenda.

“Birds of the same feathers flock together. They have the same agenda, sukad na sukad. Ilahang gibabagan akoang proyekto, ilahang giinsulto akoang proyekto. They’re trying to stop the SRP. Garganera filed a case on the SRP. Dino wants to stop BRT. Pesquera is questioning whether Kawit Island can be used. Nangita lang gyud sila og agianan,” Osmeña said.

That was the mayor’s response when reporters sought his reaction yesterday on the move of Apas Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman requesting the Office of the President to place him and his wife, City Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, under preventive suspension over the controversial reopening of the Inayawan landfill in 2016.

Although he did not answer when asked who may be behind Ayuman’s move, Osmeña said his political enemies are trying to destroy what he is building for the welfare of his constituents.

“They are trying to destroy and I am trying to build. This is the war I am doing. What can they do for the city? What have they done for the city? They just give us all kinds of problems,” he said.

For the mayor, Ayuman is merely playing politics.

“He’s (Ayuman) just another political animal. Everything they do is political, that’s my impression. Don’t they have anything to offer? They just want to destroy our programs,” he said.

Osmeña added that the opposition bloc at the City Council -—the Barug Team Rama — wants to take over his position to maneuver City Hall under their watch.

“I think nakakwarta gyud sila sa Consolacion landfill. Second, they want to get me out so that they can do their foolishness in the City Hall like they did during the time of (former mayor Michael) Rama,” he added.

Ayuman filed a case against the Osmeña couple before the Office of the President in February this year, citing grave misconduct, abuse of authority, culpable violation of the Constitution, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Margot was the acting mayor at the time the landfill was reopened.

But the mayor reiterated yesterday that his administration did not reopen the dumpsite since it was not closed by the previous administration in the first place.

The facility, he said, had been operational under Rama’s term and was closed only on January 15, 2015.

Osmeña’s administration decided to use the landfill again starting June 28 last year after getting approval from the Environmental Management Bureau-7. But later on, the Court of Appeals ordered to close the facility due to environmental violations and non-compliance of sanitary requirements.

Informed of Osmeña’s tirades, Ayuman said: “He’s the bigger political animal. Way laing gibuhat kundi ang paggukod sa mga barangay officials ug mga negosyante. Atimanon pa niya ang problema sa drainage, traffic, ug basura.” (FREEMAN)