‘Ex-Cebu mayor could be liable for removing fixtures’

MANILA, Philippines — Former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña could be held liable for removing the fixtures in his office at city hall, an official of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said yesterday.

DILG Undersecretary for operations Epimaco Densing III said Osmeña could face administrative charges after he left his office bare for his successor, Mayor Edgar Labella.

“I believe there are administrative issues here that could reach the ombudsman if the damage is huge,” Densing said in Filipino in an interview over dzMM.

Densing branded Osmeña’s move as an act of a “sore loser,” saying the latter should have just left the office as it was before he stepped down.

Osmeña defended his actions, explaining that he had spent his own money for the renovation of the office when the city council, then headed by Labella, rejected his request for funds.

“I decided to remove everything so that he will know what I feel,” Osmeña said in a separate interview over dzMM.

He said a total of P2 million was spent for the renovation of his office – P1 million from his own pocket and P1 million in contributions from his friends.

The city council did not give an explanation on why his request for funds was denied, Osmeña said.

“None, so I was annoyed. What can I do?” he said in Filipino.

The pieces of furniture were from his parents, who brought them home from the United States, Osmeña said.

But Densing said he does not believe that Osmeña used his personal funds for the office upgrade.

“It’s the money of the city government of Cebu,” he said.