As he denies being behind gathering of ‘supporters’: Mayor Labella sued

CEBU, Philippines —  Cebuana artist Maria Victoria “Bambi” Beltran on Tuesday filed a complaint against Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella before the Office of the Ombudsman over the gathering held by hundreds of his alleged supporters.

Labella, when sought for comment, said he will answer the complaint in the proper forum once he receives a copy of it.

Beltran claimed that Labella “actively participated” in the actual planning, and eventual holding, of the mass gathering of hundreds of his supporters, who called themselves as “EdLab (Edgardo Labella) Riders Club Inc.,” in Plaza Independencia on November 8, 2020, an event where strict physical distancing was also not observed.

As stated in the complaint-affidavit, Labella could be charged for violation of Cebu City Ordinance No. 2566 “penalizing any violation in relation to the implementation of general/enhanced community quarantine in Cebu City during public health crisis”; grave misconduct; and conduct unbecoming of public official.

“This is a case of a mayor violating his own Executive Orders restricting mass gatherings and enforcing strict physical distancing in the city. This is a case of a mayor violating an ordinance he himself signed into effect,” read Beltran’s complaint-affidavit.

Attached to the complaint were photographs of the gathering that surfaced on social media, which was widely condemned by the public as it violated the prohibition against mass gatherings that do not follow the restrictions and strict enforcement of mass gathering.

Also presented were screenshots of Facebook posts “proving that respondent Mayor Labella actively participated in the planning of the mass gathering” and “respondent Mayor Labella was supposed to deliver a message to the mass gathering at 11 am.”

A flash drive containing two of the video footages that surfaced in relation to the gathering, where Labella could be heard addressing the hundreds of his supporters, was also attached in the complaint-affidavit.

“This is a clear case of a two-faced leader who does not lead by example. This is a case of a mayor whose example is not worth emulating. Ultimately, this is a case of a hypocrite that is respondent Mayor Labella,” the complaint-affidavit read.

As reported earlier, Labella said no special treatment should be given to violators of the law, even to his supporters. This was his response to the statement of the Cebu City Police Office that they will be filing charges to over a hundred EdLab riders who attended the event.

Labella’s Side

Labella expressed his take on the allegations against him: “That was according to them, but I did not go there. I just sent Atty. Casas and advised them to disperse.”

Atty. Floro Casas is the city administrator.

“Actually, I even instructed the police to include them in the filing of the complaint because I never allowed or I never had a hand. They were volunteers, most if not all from them, are from the mountain barangays,” said Labella.

Last April, Beltran, 58, was arrested by cops past 2 a.m. in Barangay Kamputhaw after Labella accused her of spreading fake news.

The arrest stemmed from Beltran’s post on Facebook that read: “9,000+ new cases (All from Zapatera) of COVID-19 in Cebu City in one day. We are now the epicenter in the whole Solar System.” — JMD (FREEMAN)