The political drama of 2015

CEBU, Philippines - Twenty-fifteen proved to be yet another colorful year for personalities in Cebu with Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal making the headlines as early as February when he called for the resignation of President Benigno Aquino III following talks of a coup in the capital.

In a gathering of church leaders on February 13, Vidal said it was but proper for Aquino to step down so that the country could start fresh.

“Various assemblies convened by the National Transformation Council (NTC) have strongly articulated that the president should step down. We, bishops of the Catholic and other Christian Churches, have often been asked if there is moral basis to this growing demand. Recent developments have made this call even more urgent and imperative,” Vidal said.

Bishops present when Vidal made the call were Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo dela Cruz, Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, Bayombong (Nueva Vizcaya) Archbishop Ramon Villena, Davao Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla, Naval (Biliran) Bishop Felomino Bactol.

Non-Catholic bishops who were also there, including Christian Bishops and Ministers Association of the Philippines adviser Bishop Butch Belgica, CBMAP Secretary General Dr. Jose Socito, United Church of Christ of the Philippines Manila pastor Reverend Art Corpuz, and Evangelical Bishop Pio Tica.

The group pointed out that political renewal can be achieved through a strong public uproar similar to People Power in 1986, which catapulted Aquino’s mother, Corazon, to the presidency.

Months later, Aquino and his local ally in the Liberal Party, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III, got the ire of Vice President Jejomar Binay, one of LP’s strongest opponents for the presidency in this year’s polls.

Binay said the “deterioration” of Cebu in the ranking of the most competitive province could be attributed to two things: Lack of support from Aquino’s administration or on poor administration on the part of Davide.

From its number one ranking, Cebu went down to third during the Third Regional Competitiveness Summit at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila.

Davide

The criticism against Davide did not end with Binay.

Before 2015 could close, lawyer Ervin Estandarte and third district Representative Gwendolyn Garcia filed charges against Davide before the Ombudsman for allegedly neglecting the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).

Ever since the CICC was damaged by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit Central Visayas in 2013, Davide has refused to allocate funds to renovate the structure, saying it is not the province’s priority.

The CICC was built during Garcia’s time as governor to house events of the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Summit in 2007.

In his complaint, Estandarte alleged that the provincial government, as custodian of the CICC, violated the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Civil Service Law, and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officers and Employees when it failed to restore the structure to its original condition.

Estandarte said if the CICC cannot be restored to its original state, it will cause undue injury to the provincial government and to taxpayers for depriving them of a venue “to meet and enjoy.”

It would need around P160 million to restore and upgrade the CICC. The building is owned by the Capitol while the lot where the facility stands is owned by Mandaue City.

Garcia, for her part, said that as local chief executive, Davide is duty-bound to protect the properties of the province, including the CICC. Instead, it was the opposite that happened, as Davide’s administration left the building to rot and allowed it to become a staging ground for “cheap political gimmickry,” referring to the “NEVER AGAIN…” banner displayed there.

A newly formed group, which claims to advocate anti-corruption, has claimed responsibility for the banner. The yellow “NEVER AGAIN…” banner alluded to Garcia’s administration. Her brother, Winston, is running against Davide for governor in the May polls.

Abellanosa

Former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña’s ally in the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) and another member of the Liberal Party in Cebu, Representative Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa, also did not skip the public’s attention.

The city’s south district congressman who is seeking reelection is facing a disqualification case filed by one Philip Banguiran who contended that Abellanosa should not be allowed to run for public office because the Ombudsman has found him guilty of grave misconduct for conflict of interest in the city government’s scholarship program.

When he was still city councilor, Abellanosa signed a memorandum of agreement between the city and the Asian College of Technology where he was trustee-president for the city’s scholars to enroll in the school.

The Ombudsman ordered his eligibility cancelled and his benefits forfeited and that he be disqualified perpetually from holding public office, but Abellanosa questioned the order, saying he has not been dismissed from functioning as congressman.

In October, Abellanosa filed his Certificate of Candidacy for the 2016 elections. His opponent for the post, Councilor Gerardo Carillo of Team Ram admitted the party supported the disqualification case against Abellanosa.

The case, as it turned out, was not the last of Abellanosa’s skirmish with former allies in BOPK. 

No less than Rama stopped Abellanosa’s pet project, a P700-million underpass in the Cebu City, which hoped to address flooding and traffic congestion at the busy intersection of F. Llamas Street and Natalio Bacalso Avenue.

Rama stopped the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) project, as he wanted the Department of Public Works and Highways–7 to widen the diversionary roads first.

Aside from this, Rama also stopped the construction of an extension of Cebu Technological University in the mountain barangay of Bonbon for which Abellanosa secured P25.5 million from DPWH for buildings and facilities and P6 million from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for the school’s operations.

Rama said, however, that the project was not supported by permits from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

Osmeña

Davide’s other ally in the Liberal Party in Cebu City, former mayor and congressman Tomas Osmeña, never left the political spotlight.

Last year, Osmeña sued Rama and 19 other officials over the construction of Carbon Market Unit 2.Osmeña alleged the city officials connived with each other in awarding the P167 million project  to a private contractor even if the contractor was not qualified to enter into contracts with the government for projects worth over P100 million.

Osmeña sued Bids and Awards Committee head Rafael Christopher Yap; city engineer Jose Marie Poblete; budget officer Nelfa Briones; and BAC members Veronica Morelos, Josefa Ylanan and Dr. Alice Utlang.

He also sued the members of the BAC-Technical Working Group namely Jose Daluz III as head and June Nadine Sison, Joel Reston, Estela Delos Reyes, Yuriy Sesican, Gilfer Phodore Bucabal, Joemar Aboyabor and Emmanuel Ricardo as members.

The other respondents were the members of the secretariat, including Jason Bongcales, Carlota Nelyn Paglinawan, and Kenneth Carmelita Enriquez, now head of the City Development and Planning Office, were not spared.

In July, anticipating a rematch in the upcoming elections, Osmeña withdrew his election protest against Mayor Michael Rama who beat him to the mayorship in the 2013 polls. His running mate at that time, former vice mayor Joy Augustus Young, also abandoned his election protest against Rama’s partner, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella.

Several months later, however, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) issued resolution affirming Rama’s victory over Osmeña by 6,376 votes.

Rama garnered 217,448 votes while Osmeña only got 211,072 votes.

However, with the abandonment of the election protest, the Comelec directed its finance services department to reimburse Osmeña P1,112,854.10.

Meanwhile, the Comelec said Labella won over Young by 184 votes and said it wants to continue the recount of ballots as it found “substantial recovery that would lead to the conclusion that there is merit or legitimacy in the election protest.”

Nevertheless, because of the withdrawal of the protest, it ordered that Young be reimbursed P1,114,289.

But while Osmeña withdrew his protest before the Comelec, the rivalry between him and Rama never dissipated. 

On November 13, shortly after the city government recovered butane canisters labeled “Type O,” the brand of BOPK, photos of a canister and stove with Rama’s image surfaced.

Rama denied any knowledge of the photos and pointed to his opponents as the ones responsible.

Osmeña, for his part, admitted he has been helping operators of butane refilling stations as the business benefits the urban poor even as Rama ordered a ban on refilling stations because of the possible dangers they pose to customers.

Eight people suffered from burns when a canister that was filled with butane exploded in Barangay Kinasang-an.

Rama

Rama, himself, was not spared from controversy.

Even before Osmeña withdrew his election protest against him, Rama surprised many during his State of the City Address (SOCA) on July 4 when he thanked his predecessor for pushing for the establishment of the 300-hectare South Road Properties (SRP) when Osmeña was still mayor. Rama was vice mayor at that time.

The two would eventually part ways in 2011 due to political differences.

In the July 4 SOCA, however, Rama said “history should not be forgotten” and that the SRP is the “best gift to the people of Cebu City”.

Last August, the city got P8.35 billion as down payment from real estate developers that acquired lots at the SRP.

The sale, however, became the starting point of an agonizing saga at the City Council – and the rallying point of both BOPK and Team Rama camps – when BOPK councilors who compose the majority bloc refused to tackle the P2.8 billion Supplemental Budget 1, which was supposed to pay for the city’s outstanding debts.

They believed SB-1 should not be touched unless the court resolves with finality the case filed by lawyer Romulo Torres, which questioned the sale of lots at the SRP. The money from the sale is supposed to fund SB-1.

The BOPK councilors blocked the move of Team Rama councilors to tackle SB-1 six times.

The deferment stalled the funding for certain items, including the P87 million garbage tipping fee, P77 million productivity enhancement incentives for employees, and P2.3 billion prepayment of the SRP loan, among others.

Above all these, the biggest controversy that capped the year was Rama’s preventive suspension from office effective December 10.

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) suspended Rama as it investigates the complaint filed against the mayor by Labangon Barangay Captain Victor Buendia.

Buendia said Rama committed grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and oppression when he ordered a median structure to be removed and street lighting project demolished in the barangay allegedly without due process.

While he did not resist the suspension, Rama exited City Hall in high drama, kneeling down to his knees on stage outside City in front of supporters, saying he is being crucified. —(FREEMAN)