Vice mayor says Osmeña is BO-PK’s ‘5-star general’ for war shaping up

A “war” with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama hasn’t even begun, but the City Council is ready to bring out the big guns.

Vice Mayor Augustus “Joy” Young announced in yesterday’s meeting with barangay captains that Councilor Margot Osmeña, wife of Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district, will take over as chairperson of the council’s budget and finance committee on July 1.

In that new role, Margot will review all   budget proposals from the mayor’s office.

Mayor Rama, who left for Israel  on Friday, was not present in the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) meeting.

Vice Mayor Young said the council, whose members belong to the administration Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK, ) and Rama have not yet begun to fight.

“But the signs of invasion are coming along. This is just like putting a five-star general at the border because when a neighboring country declares war, we have to also move our troops to the border,” Young said, referring to Margot’s upcoming appointment.

Mayor Rama on June 2 declared he was no longer a member of BO-PK, his political camp for almost 19 years,  even as he said he maintains friendly  ties with the council and seeks their cooperation.

The mayor is set to revamp  City Hall department heads and has called for a review of consultants,  most of whom were hired during the previous Osmeña administration.

His order  requiring casual workers to reapply  further strained ties with BO-PK.

“It’s as if he (Rama) has started throwing stones at us so we will also be throwing stones back at him,” said Young, who was designated acting mayor  while Rama attends   an international mayors conference in Israel from June 11-17.

‘Not for 2013’

Young announced the plan to appoint Margot  to head the finance committee before  60 members of the ABC during  their quarter assembly at the ABC office at the South Road Properties yesterday.

Margot, who heads the council’s tourism committee, said she is prepared for the new role but that she needs the support of the council and barangay leaders.

She said this was not a preparation for a  mayoralty run in 2013.

“It’s merely a preparation for me learn to do it (the new position). But I cannot do it without their support,” Margot said.

Councilor Jose Daluz III is on his last term as finance committee chairman.

“He asked me that we should  not wait for the last minute before we take action,” Osmeña said, adding that she wanted a smooth turnover.

Councilor Alvin Dizon said Young’s announcement at the assembly came as a surprise because there was no final agreement reached yet with councilors about a revamp of committee posts. But he said he had no objection.

Not one of us

Margot  spoke at  the assembly ahead of the vice mayor.

She recalled that she ran for councilor last year to  “give peace” to the barangay captains who opposed BO-PK’s endorsement of Rama’s candidacy.

“One reason Tommy asked me to run for councilor was so that you have someone to help you, someone barangay officials or our constituents can turn to,” she said.

Margot then read to the barangay captains a cell phone text message from her husband, Congressman Osmeña, who is in  Singapore on official business.

“Rama was not telling the whole truth when he said he was leaving BO-PK,” said the congressman’s message.

“His heart was never with BO-PK.  He showed his true color when he said he waited 18 years for this (his leaving the group to happen). Mike was never one of us. He was just misdiagnosed as BO-PK.  We (gave) him the chance to serve.”

Congressman  Osmeña said Rama was now turning against those who helped him become mayor.

“We know now that he (Rama) is the only politician alive who will run after people who voted and campaigned (for him),” Osmeña’s text message read.

Osmeña and BO-PK members disagreed with  Rama’s decision to demolish shanties  along the Mahiga Creek without first providing relocation site for settlers.

Pagtambayayong Foundation Inc., led by former city administrator Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez,  filed complaints in court and the Ombudsman  against the mayor.  The court, however, did not issue an injunction order to stop the demolitions.

The lawsuit was the last straw and prompted Rama to leave the BO-PK, saying he had long been made to feel unwanted.

Check and balance

In his message during the ABC assembly, Young said barangay captains came to him to ask about Rama’s leaving BO-PK.

“He left us but we can assure you that we’re not looking for a fight. We can assure you that services will not be sacrificed,” Young said in his speech.

Young asked barangay captains not to be affected by the BO-PK feud with Rama.

Young said giving Margot the budget and finance committee wasn’t planned. He said Daluz asked other councilors to assume the committee he chaired.

The vice mayor said Daluz will be given a new committee.

Young said that as much as possible, he wanted other councilors to hang on to their committee posts  to keep the council “intact.”

The council, he said, would continue to recognize Councilor Edu Rama, the mayor’s  nephew, as a colleague and brother.

Councilor Dizon said the council would not be obstructionists to the Rama administration.  Instead they would be “responsible fiscalizers.”

“We will perform the role pursuant to the principle of check and balance,” he said.