Duterte dinner with execs: Three mayors unwelcomed

CEBU, Philippines — At least three Cebu mayors were not invited to the meeting of local chief executives with President Rodrigo Duterte at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino last Friday night.

The three are Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Ronda Mayor Mariano Blanco, and Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot.

Osmeña and Loot confirmed not getting an invitation.

Osmeña told The Freeman:

"I was not invited and that's okay with me. During the game (Philippine National Games) opening, Governor Davide also said he was not invited. I'm not blaming the president. I'm not insecure."

Osmeña was seen at the hotel lobby when the dinner meeting was taking place.

The day after, he was at the Cebu City Sports Center where Duterte spoke and opened the Philippine National Games.

Cebu City Councilor Jose Daluz who was invited to the dinner said it was the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas that prepared the guest list.

"He (Osmeña) was not the only one barred. It's the Presidential Security Group (PSG) instruction that those not in the list are not allowed to go in. He was not in the list," Daluz said.

Daluz’ fellow councilor, Renato Osmeña, and Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, president of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban Cebu City Chapter, were invited.

Also present were other Barug Team Rama PDP-Laban councilors Jocelyn Pesquera and Raymond Alvin Garcia.  Labella said he did not speak about anything important with the president.

"We just exchanged hellos after the president delivered his speech during the private dinner," Labella told The FREEMAN.

Also in the meeting were former President, now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, PCOO Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin Andanar, and some members of the Cabinet.  Sought for comment, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino said the dinner was “purely private” with local chief executives and some ranking officials from the military, police, regional government offices, and supporters of the President.

It is public knowledge, however, that Dino and Osmeña are not in good terms. They are, in fact, at odds with each other over the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Cebu City that Osmeña is pushing and Dino is blocking.

Osmeña has also blamed Dino for Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre’s pronouncement tagging him as a drug protector.  Incidentally, too, Loot and Blanco have also been linked to the illegal drug trade.

Duterte himself named Loot as a drug protector while the National Police Commission tagged Blanco as as having allegedly engaged in the trade.   Duterte reportedly thought Loot was present at the dinner meeting Friday that he asked for Loot’s whereabouts when he appealed to the mayors present to fight illegal drugs.

“Kasi, alam ko wala kayo in possession… if you were just a warehouse. But remember, General Loot, your house was flooded with drugs sa isang kwarto. Huwag na tayong maglokohan dito,” Duterte said.

Loot has since denied the allegations and even called on authorities, including the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation to search his house.

“Open book man ta… maayo unta if the government agencies monitoring me will collate all their intel data because they knew what I have been doing all along and they would know that I’m innocent in all allegations against me,” he said.

Mayor shouted?

Meanwhile, Renato shared that the mayor, his uncle, allegedly shouted at him when their paths crossed at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.  He said he was going back to the dinner meeting when he saw Osmeña at the elevator. As courtesy, he reportedly greeted him “good evening” but the mayor allegedly shouted at him, instead, telling him to get out of the elevator.

“I greeted him ‘good evening’ and then he said ‘get out’ ...a very, very loud voice. Oh, ana ko, ngano imoha man ko pagawson, dili mani imoha ang hotel. Ngano nisiyagit man ka?" Renato said.

Renato believes the mayor might be angry at him because he headed the committee that scrutinized the P18 billion proposed development at Kawit Island that the City Council eventually junked.  Osmeña denied shouting at the councilor.

“I did not shout. When he approached me, I told him to stay away. I didn't like the smell. He is full of s__t,” the mayor said. (FREEMAN)