VM Seno takes oath as acting Mandaue Mayor

Both Mandaue City mayoralty aspirants Amadeo "Ading" Seno, J|r and Jonas Cortes formally took their oath yesterday as mayor and vice mayor respectively, as the preventive suspension of Mayor Thadeo Ouano takes effect.

Seno, an ally of the Ouanos prior to his announcement last January 19 that he is running for mayor, took his oath at the Mandaue City Session Hall before Rene Burdeos, the regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Burdeos served Ouano's suspension order at the Office of the City Mayor few minutes before the 10:00 a.m. oath-taking ceremony. But since Ouano was not around, city legal officer Erwin Rommel Heyrosa only received the suspension order.

Cortes, being the number one city councilor, immediately took his oath as acting vice mayor. Seno is serving his last term in office and has until June 30 to serve as acting mayor while Cortes has still one more term as city councilor.

Seno assured the Mandaue City Hall employees that there would be no movement of personnel even if some of them were known Ouano supporters.

"Di ko manggukod og tawo. I won't do that. That is not my kind of governance and I am expecting cooperation among employees at the City Hall," Seno said in a press conference.

Ouano is now in his last term as city mayor, but his reign was cut-short when the Ombudsman ordered for his suspension over the purchase of the overpriced lampposts used for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in January.

For Seno, being the mayor was a dream come true even in an acting capacity. But he said it would be more rewarding if he will get the mandate of the Mandauehanons in the May 14 elections.

Seno ran for mayor in 1988 and 1992 against former city mayor Alfredo Ouano but lost.

In 1996, he was appointed as the city administrator under the administration of Alfredo Ouano. In 1998 he ran for vice mayor with Thadeo Ouano as his runningmate and won. He was reelected to the same position in 2001 and 2004.

Upon the instruction of the DILG, Seno implemented yesterday the suspension order against city engineer Hidelisa Latonio and her subordinates, engineers Gregorio Omo, Alfredo Sanchez Sr., Mario Gerolaga, and Rosalina Denque.

During a meeting yesterday, Seno sought cooperation from all the department heads in the name of public service. He also led the blessing of the Office of the Mayor in order to have divine guidance when he takes the office next week.

A lawyer by profession, Seno also appointed yesterday his brothers, lawyer Malcolm Seno, the former city legal officer as his general adviser, and lawyer Nilo Seno as his legal adviser. Both brothers will receive no salaries from the city government.

"Nilambo na ug ni asenso na ang Mandaue, di na na malalis. Pero ang kinabang-an sa mga Mandauehanon nagpabilin nga wa molambo," said Seno.

The preventive suspension orders served to Ouano and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza brought no serious upheaval, according to Gov. Gwen Garcia.

"I am thankful that there was a peaceful turnover of the mayors to the vice mayors karon," Garcia said during the press conference at the South Bus Terminal yesterday.

Burdeos, together with DILG assistant regional director Pedro Noval and legal officer Danilo Almendras, served the suspension orders to the two city mayors. - Mitchhelle L. Palaubsanon with Jona B. Bering/LPM