Osmeña: Dino’s invite to SKs a desperate move

CEBU, Philippines — The battle to get the majority bloc in the Cebu City Council continues as both parties have reportedly “influenced” the winning Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairpersons.

While City Mayor Tomas Osmeña promised to give cash incentives and scholarships to 649 newly-elected SK officials, he accused Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino of being “desperate” in helping the latter’s allies at the City Council.

On his official Facebook page, the mayor posted some photos of the alleged invitation cards from Dino for the winning SK bets.

SK chairpersons were reportedly invited to visit the Malacañang Palace at 6 p.m. yesterday for a tour and a courtesy call on President Rodrigo Duterte and Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.

“Wow Michael Dino, desperate much? Did you invite the SKs from Mandaue and all the other cities in the Visayas as well? Or are you just trying very hard to help your Team Suyop allies in a pathetic last-ditch attempt to cling-on to control of the Cebu City Council?” read a portion of Osmeña’s post.

The post garnered over 9,200 reactions and around 150 shares as of this writing.

Among the recipients of the invitation was Barangay Sawang Calero SK Chairperson Kenny Silud, a Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) supporter.

He said he received the invitation from an SK councilor at around 10 in the morning Tuesday. Silud, however, refused to identify the official.

Silud said he turned down the “urgent and malicious” invitation because it did not specify the itinerary and he had prior commitments.

He also questioned why only SK chairpersons from Cebu City were invited.

“Dili man sad ko makaingun na privilege siya because invited siya ni Duterte. Duterte just came over to Cebu a week ago. I was just being meticulous about the matter,” he said.

Statement

In a press statement, OPAV spokesperson Titus Borromeo said the office has invited all 80 newly-elected SK chairpersons of Cebu City to Malacañang Palace and to meet the people behind the national leadership.

Borromeo said OPAV will continue to bring the people closer to the Office of the President.

The invitation, he said, was meant to acknowledge the new SK chairpersons who will be introduced to Duterte leadership.

In a separate interview, City Councilor Jose Daluz, an ally of the Barug Team Rama-PDP Laban, said their camp will never influence SK chairpersons to side with them unlike the mayor.

“Tommy has been very vocal that he wants to get the majority of the City Council. Kani si Tommy, sobra kaayo ka hilas. Iya pod nang gibuhat. Mas grabe pa gali para makuha ang council maong tanang assistance sa city to SK kay questionable na gyud,” Daluz told The FREEMAN.

During the president and Go’s visit last weekend, Daluz said Dino was told by Secretary Go to invite the SK chairpersons to visit Malacañang for a tour.

Daluz said they had no intention to influence the SK chairpersons.

He, however, admitted that the opposition also wants to get the majority in the council, but “in a healthy manner.”

“By going to the Malacañang, whether it’s an influence or not, ma-influence gyud ang mga bata. But, it’s not the influence na moari sa among partido. Ang amoa is to remind them to vote their representative to the City Council kanang dili ma-persuade by any political personality like Tommy and us,” Daluz said.

He said the mayor and his allies have also been “threatening and influencing” the SK chairpersons to be on their side.

As of now, the City Council is slightly dominated by the opposition with nine members including Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, while the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan has eight members.

Jess Anthony dela Cruz of the Cebu City Local Youth Commission (CCLYC) said BOPK has 41 allied SK chairpersons while 39 are identified with the opposition.

But he said six of the 39 SK chairpersons have expressed their interest to join the BOPK.

Elections

On the other hand, all elected SK chairpersons will elect their SK Federation president who will sit as an ex-officio member of the council.

The SK Federation elections are slated for May 29, while the orientation is scheduled for May 28.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Cebu City Director Emma Joyevelyn Calvo said all SK chairmen are required to attend the polls otherwise they may face a complaint for dereliction of duty.

The Board of Elections Supervisors are composed of Calvo  as the chairperson, Roy Vincent Alix, the Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) secretary, and the representatives from the Commissions on Elections (COMELEC) both north and south districts.

The observers include Dr. Alexander Franco Delantar, the dean of College of Management Business and Accountancy of Cebu Institute of Technology-University, Mayren Cogtas from the Dilaab Foundation Inc., and PSINSP Dindo Juanito Alaras from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO). — Shainna Marie O. Edullantes, CNU Intern/KBQ (FREEMAN)  (FREEMAN)