CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he is willing to patch things up with his political rival Jonathan Guardo just like what he did with Cebu City south district Rep. Antonio Cuenco.
The catch? Osmeña asked Guardo to account for the P10 million that was granted to him in 2005 for the 23rd Southeast Asian Games in Cebu City.
Guardo, the former Cebu Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee chairman, is facing a criminal complaint for malversation of public funds.
He was sued by the Philippine Sports Commission, allegedly for his failure to liquidate the funds that were granted to him for the “construction and refurbishing of facilities” to be used during the SEA games.
Guardo, however, insisted that he did not pocket a single centavo of the funds entrusted to him and that these were really spent for the operations of the SEA Games in Cebu.
But Osmeña said that Guardo must show to the people where the money went.
“Kay ang BOPK (Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan) can’t support somebody who is being charged criminally, we can’t reconcile people like that, so he has to explain to the people first,” Osmeña said.
Cuenco was once an ally of the mayor but was kicked out from the BOPK after he earned the ire of the mayor after the October 2007 barangay elections.
The congressman was accused of leaving their allied barangay captains in the south district during the campaign period to fend for themselves.
The congressman explained that he left for the US for treatment of his vertigo but he denied the accusation that he abandoned their allied barangay captains.
Osmeña, however, was unconvinced by the explanation of Cuenco.
But after their talks last week, Osmeña disclosed that they are now in good terms with the congressman for the sake of Ronald Cuenco, who is running for the city council under the BOPK.
It was reported that Guardo is also hoping to make peace with the mayor someday, though he promised “a great battle” against Osmeña in next year’s election.
Guardo and Osmeña along with four more congressional candidates in the south district are set to face off for the House seat. — Elly Bolonos/BRP (THE FREEMAN)