The Department of the Interior and Local Government has readied a case against former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña over the heavy damage that the Office of the Mayor sustained during the removal of the latter’s property.
Interior undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, who is also the department’s spokesman, announced that Secretary Eduardo Año has already ordered the DILG’s legal team to file charges against Osmeña before the Office of the Ombudsman.
“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 Manila reporters in a press conference other day, explaining that what Osmeña did was unacceptable.
Osmeña earlier defended his actions, saying he was just taking back his property, adding that he spent at least P2 million from his own pocket to renovate his office since the City Council turned down his request for funding.
Public outrage erupted when images of the stripped and badly-damaged office surfaced in social media. Some said Osmeña’s actions were clearly a desecration of the city’s seat of power, the very office he had served.
Well, let’s see if the DILG really pushes through with the charges against the former mayor. If it does, then Osmeña should not waste his time explaining why he had to include those irremovable pieces when he pulled out his personal property.
As the controversy turned into a serious national issue following the May 13 midterm elections, the legal action that the DILG, the new city administration, and concerned agencies will file against Osmeña should serve as a warning to other local government officials.
There are elected government officials who have done the same in the past but were able to escape any liability. Now, Osmeña’s issue should serve as a lesson to all public servants that any wrongdoing can no longer be hidden, especially with the advent of social media.