"Why is he avoiding them? I think that the council members have the right to defend themselves," Osmeña told reporters in his regular press conference yesterday.
In an executive session last week, the city council expressed its intention to file a libel case against Lastimosa for his alleged "malicious insinuations" that some city councilors benefit from the city's transaction with Colonie Enterprises for the purchase of the P1.5 million worth of chemicals used in the anti-dengue campaign.
Lastimosa earlier said he would only attend the session if it would be open to the public. The council reiterated its invitation to Lastimosa last week.
In his radio program, City Health Department chief Fe Cabugao whom Lastimosa interviewed allegedly denied signing the purchase request of the mist spraying chemicals, which cast doubts on the legality of the deal because it would appear that the council needed to declare the city under a state of calamity in order to seal a transaction with "favored supplier" Colonie.
Cabugao denied the allegations during the executive session Friday last week.
Osmeña said he recently learned that one bidder was reportedly disqualified and said that if there would still be a chance that the supposed disqualified bidder could still qualify, he would reportedly move to redo the bidding.