Osmeña sues Labella, Lapus

CEBU, Philippines — For terminating the board of directors of Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) without “due process,” Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella and Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) acting administrator Jeci Lapus are facing criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas.

Former mayor Tomas Osmeña accused Labella and Lapus of usurpation of authority and grave misconduct for terminating five members of the MCWD Board. The case was filed on Monday, February 3, before the anti-graft office.

Labella terminated on October 15, 2019 the services of MCWD chairman Joel Mari Yu, vice chairman Ralph Sevilla, secretary Cecilia Jugao-Adlawan, and members Procopio Fernandez and Augustus Pe, Jr., citing consumers’ dissatisfaction.

Yu resigned a week after receiving his termination notice while Fernandez chose to heed to the mayor’s termination. Sevilla, Adlawan, and Pe contested the mayor’s order before the LWUA.

Osmeña said the termination was done without observing due process.

"It is thus surprising that on October 24, 2019, Respondent Lapus issued orders to MCWD directors Sevilla, Jugao-Adlawan, and Pe Jr., among others asking them to comment to their termination as MCWD directors," read Osmeña's complaint-affidavit.

Before that, LWUA has appointed an interim board to take over MCWD on October 21, 2019.

"We believe he (Lapus) is in connivance with Mayor Labella in the whole scheme," said lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan, Osmeña’s legal counsel.

“The answer is simple— Respondents Mayor Labella and Lapus is a case of conspiracy gone awry. Theirs is a charade that was not well coordinated in its execution. They must be held fully accountable for the mess they created,” stated Osmeña in the complaint-affidavit.

Labella, for his part, said he has not received the copy of the complaint yet, but said he is ready to answer Osmeña's allegation.  FPL (FREEMAN)