Toledo City has lost its City Administrator last week but that’s all right with Mayor John “Sonny” Osmeña.
The 78-year-old former senator yesterday said that he’s satisfied with the performance of Toledo City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva who is concurrently acting as city administrator vice Gabriel Trocio who resigned Friday.
“I have no one in mind. I will leave it vacant. With somebody like Mrs. Oliva sitting beside me, I don’t need a city administrator. She [Oliva] is [the city treasurer and administrator]. A jack of all trades,” he said.
Oliva assumed as Toledo City’s treasurer last September following her appointment by the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF).
She was City Treasurer of Cebu City during the administration of Mayor Tomas Osmeña but was eased out during the administration of Mayor Michael Rama.
Oliva shot to fame when she introduced the “dancing treasurer” concept as a way to coax people to pay their taxes.
Last August, Oliva announced her appointment as the Provincial Treasurer, but her appointment was recalled by the BLGF two days later.
She said it was Mayor Sonny Osmeña who asked BLGF to move her to Toledo City.
Osmeña earlier accused the city administrator Trocio of insubordination for his alleged refusal to implement his orders on key appointments at City Hall.
Trocio reportedly tried to reinstate Ramon Samper as City Accountant contrary to Osmeña’s orders.
Conflict
“We had a conflict with our differences since he (Trocio) insisted to reinstate the city accountant. I saw that as a form of insubordination,” Osmena said. Samper served as city accountant during the administration of Mayor Rudy Espinosa. Ethel Tio now holds the post as officer-in-charge (OIC).
At the Toledo City Council, a new councilor has yet to be appointed to replace Ricardo Rafols Jr. who died of cardiac arrest three months ago.
Vice Mayor Antonio Yapha Jr. said the council dominated by the One Cebu bloc already approved a resolution endorsing the city’s Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) president, Edgardo Aguilar. However Yapha said he also sent a separate letter endorsing Dr. James Gaite in his “personal capacity.”
Replacement
He said it will be up to Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III to choose Rafol’s replacement based on the two endorsements. “We expect a replacement after the elections on October 28 since appointments are still not allowed during the election period,” he said. Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos