Tomas sends it back

CEBU, Philippines - “I’m not for sale.”

This was what Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said after he received yesterday morning a Diners Club International credit card from Banco de Oro with a P440,000 credit limit.

However, BDO-Magallanes Branch Manager Joseph Lao said it was not from the branch which was sued by Osmeña earlier this month for alleged tax fraud.

As this developed, the city government also served the second show cause notice to the BDO Magallanes branch yesterday, asking the bank to explain why the city should not revoke the business permit and close the bank.

As for the credit card, Osmeña said he never asked for it, adding that he does not have any BDO accounts.

When asked what he meant by he is not for sale, he said “I don’t know if they are trying to do something for me but I’m not interested.”

The letter with the credit card was given to him by his secretary after the regular press conference.

“I never asked for it…sipsip. Dili na madala sa sipsip,” Osmeña said.

The letter read: “We are pleased to renew your Diners Club International Credit Card.” The mayor said he had his Diners Club International card over 10 years ago. But, he said he did not ask for the renewal of his dormant account since he has not used it for several years.

“I don’t know. I think I gave up on it,” he said. Osmeña already instructed his secretary to return it to BDO.

Lao said he remembered that BDO acquired Diners Club International last year.

According to Businesswire, BDO Unibank Inc. became the exclusive issuer of Diners Club cards in the Philippines, as well as acquiring partner for Diners Club International Ltd. last October.

“Basig naa’y existing account si mayor. Dili sad siguro mabuhat sa BDO uy,” he said.

Lao said it is possible BDO automatically renewed all the accounts of all cardholders of Diners Club International.

“Basta it is not from the branch,” he said, adding that BDO will surely act on the matter since it is reported in the media.

On January 4, Osmeña filed the case against the bank for allegedly under-declaring and falsifying its declaration of gross sales of only P400,000 in the renewal of business permit to the City Treasurer's Office last year.

Second  notice

Yesterday, lawyers of the City Legal Office served the second show cause order dated January 30 to the BDO Magallanes branch at 12:43 p.m.

The first notice was dated January 6 which was already answered by the branch two weeks ago.

Osmeña said the City Treasurer’s Office refused to accept the payment for the renewal of the business permit because the branch has yet to comply with the requirements.

In the bank’s annual report, Osmeña said the BDO has total deposits of P1.7 trillion, the net interest income for last year is P57 billion, non-interest income of P31 billion, net profit of P25 billion, and customer loans of P1.279 trillion.  (FREEMAN)