Sonny: Tom’s P400 M fund alignment driven by blood ties

A decision by Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district to realign P300 million worth of infrastructure projects to Cebu’s 1st district was also driven by personal motives, former senator John “Sonny” Osmeña said  yesterday.

During yesterday’s 888 News Forum, the former senator said the congressman’s wife, Councilor Margot Osmeña and the mother of Samsam Gullas were siblings.

Sonny Osmeña also said the blood ties between Margot and Samsam’s mother also led to nephew Mimo Osmeña’s decision not to contest the 1st  district congressional seat.

“I don’t know what their arrangement was but I have my suspicions,” the former senator said.

Sonny Osmeña said he learned of this from the congressman’s younger sister Georgia Osmeña, who visited him at home recently.

Councilor Osmeña confirmed with Cebu Daily News that Samsam’s mother was her stepsister, making Samsam her nephew.

Samsam, grandson of outgoing Rep. Eduardo Gullas of Cebu’s 1st district, is running unopposed in a district whose anchor city is Talisay where Gullas is running for mayor.

Margot denied that she had anything to do with  Mimo’s decision  not to run against Samsam or of her husband’s decision to realign P400 million in funds for Cebu City’s south district in favor of  Cebu’s 1st district.

In a previous interview, Rep. Osmeña said he realigned the P400 million to Cebu’s 1st district as a way of thanking residents there for their support to gubernatorial aspirant Hilario “Junjun” Davide III in the 2010 elections.

The congressman also said he realigned the funds  because Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama contested its allocation for  flyover projects by insisting that they be used instead for road-widening.

“I only met her (Samsam’s mother) once and I can’t even remember her name,. That’s very personal. I don’t know what (Sonny) is talking about. Of course not, I don’t have anything to do with it. Please tell him not to make up things,” Margot said.

She said Mimo was mature enough to make his own decisions.

In a radio interview, Samsam Gullas confirmed that he’s a nephew of Margot.

But he said he hasn’t heard of his family making contact with the Osmeñas about his political plans.

Samsam also denied Sonny’s allegation that the P400 million realigned for Cebu’s 1st district has something to do with his blood relations to Margot. Correspondents Edison delos Angeles and Tweeny M. Malinao