Grave misconduct complaint: Ombudsman suspends Tomas Osmeña, too

CEBU, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered a one-year suspension on former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña over the release of three individuals from the Parian Police Station last Aug. 24, 2018.

This came exactly 20 days after the Ombudsman’s six-month preventive suspension on imposed on Mayor Mike Rama hit the news last May 8.

The 13-page decision dated Feb. 29, 2024 on Osmen?a’s suspension was signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires, upon the recommendation of Assistant Special Prosecutor III Lyn Dimayuga and Assistant Ombudsman Pilarita Kapitan.

A copy of the document was provided to the media.

Aware that Osmeña is no longer a mayor, the Office of the Ombudsman said the one-year penalty “shall be converted to a FINE in the amount equivalent to his basic salary for one (l) year, payable to the Office of the Ombudsman, and may be deducted from his benefits, accrued leave credits or any receivable from their Office.”

It also directed the Secretary of Department of Interior and Local Government to implement the penalty.

The decision was for the grave misconduct complaint filed on Aug. 30, 2018 by Police Senior Superintendent Royina Marzan Garma, who was the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director at that time.

The anti-graft body, while finding Osmeña guilty for “grave misconduct,” “dismissed for lack of merit” the complaints for obstruction of justice, grave abuse of authority, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Employees that Garma also filed.

Garma’s complaints stemmed from an incident where Parian Police Station operatives arrested three men for refilling butane canisters with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at the T. Padilla Public Market, in separate operations.

Osmeña, however, arrived at the police station close to 11 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2018 and allegedly said he would take the three persons into his custody, which resulted to them walking away.

In his Oct. 26, 2018 counter-affidavit, Osmeña admitted going to the police station but that he was “merely responding to a request for assistance from constituents who reported to him about the illegal arrest of the vendors.” — (FREEMAN)