A FEW hours after he was sworn in, Toledo City Mayor John Henry Osmeña’s first official act was to re-open a radio station that his predecessor closed in last month’s elections.
“I restored the freedom of speech of the people and the first thing I did after the oath-taking was to break down the door that was padlocked by Espinosa so the radio station could go back on air,” Osmeña said.
Bay FM radio station’s permit to operate was not renewed by former mayor Aurelio Espinosa last January.
Osmeña and other officials were sworn into office at the sala of Judge Albei Carmelo Pescadero in the Toledo City Palace of Justice at noon yesterday.
Councilors Zosimo Abellanosa and Merly Abad of the Liberal Party Cebu and Councilors Ricardo Pepito, Marjorie Perales, Leo Dolino, Rogelio Caburnay, Helen Jill Espinosa and Nicholas Espinosa of One Cebu were later sworn in by Osmeña.
“I just hope that our political foes will continue to cooperate with us, but the situation is really fragile because we could not assure its continuity due to the upcoming barangay elections,” Osmeña said in Cebuano.
While looking forward to peaceful barangay elections, Osmeña said he will work on fulfilling his free water for all promise in his first 100 days of office.
“We need the council’s support to allocate money for this project,” he said.
Due to the electric generator in Toledo City, Osmeña said he will ask the Cebu Electric Cooperative Inc. (Cebeco) to reduce its transmission rate by 66 percent.
He told reporters that he will also push for the realization of the International port and gasoline terminal projects.
Only essential employees like garbage collectors, street and market cleaners and hospital employees will be retained based on their performance, Osmeña said.
Vice Mayor Antonio Yapha Jr. said he will work to improve Toledo City General Hospital. Correspondent Christine Emily L. Pantaleon