Ex-Cebu mayor faces charges for removing office fixtures

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will file charges against former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña for stripping the mayor’s office bare.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered the DILG legal team to file the charges against Osmeña before the Office of the Ombudsman, DILG spokesman and undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said.

“The secretary said we would definitely file cases. Let’s just find out the facts first to determine the cases that will be filed,” Malaya told a press conference yesterday.

Osmeña defended his action, saying he spent around P2 million of his own money and contributions from his friends to renovate the office after the city council rejected his request for funds.

However, Malaya said Osmeña’s explanation is unacceptable.

 “He knows the Civil Code. He is aware that he cannot remove immovable objects,” he said.

Malaya said Osmeña’s actions also disrupted the delivery of services at the city hall as his successor Mayor Edgar Labella had to transfer to another office.

“Something wrong happened and we don’t want to keep the people guessing why it is taking long for the DILG to take action,” he said.

The Cebu City government also reportedly plans to file charges for theft and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Osmeña.

Osmeña’s personal assistant Raymund Paul Taboada, city planning and development office personnel Cindy Montermoso and Jim Paul Saavedra as well as 32 workers of Dakay Construction and Development Corp.,who removed the fixtures, may also be held liable.