For being ‘decisive’, Arce back as Probe head

CEBU, Philippines — “Clean the city.”

This is the directive of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to opposition ally Raquel Arce who is back as head of Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, Enhancement (PROBE) team.

In a press conference yesterday, Osmeña announced that he is assigning Arce back to her designation as head of the PROBE after seeing her “decisiveness.”

“Our head of PROBE is good but we need someone who’s decisive,” the mayor said.

Starting November 15, Arce and Jesusa Berido will exchange designations. Arce will head PROBE while Berido will head the city’s anti-mendicancy program.

“She (Arce) has done a good job in anti-mendicancy. As a matter of fact, Lea Japson (head of Department of Social Welfare and Services) does not want to give up. I said no,” the mayor said.

Japson, being the head of DSWS, is Arce’s immediate head.

Osmeña said there are some vendors who are “very hard-headed” and come back in the streets after every clearing operation of the city.

The mayor said he is getting text messages complaining about sidewalk vendors who are obstructing the streets.

With Arce on board, he said he will forward all text messages to her to act on the complaint.

Before demolishing the structures of the sidewalk vendors, Osmeña said they will be given a chance to voluntary dismantle the structure or to find a compromise set-up within five days.

But if nothing happens within five days, Osmeña said there will be automatic demolition.

Arce, for her part, said she was “flattered and happy” knowing that the mayor has “trust and confidence” in her.

“I have talked to the mayor.  He welcomed me on board with the assurance that he will listen if I have clarifications on his directives. He told me that I can go to his office even without an appointment,” she said.

Arce said she assured the mayor that she will just follow orders and do her job.

She has served as head of PROBE from November 2011 to June 2016. She was re-assigned to guard the Doña Pepang Cemetery in barangay Tejero for five months in 2016 and was later transferred to DSWS.

Asked if she will shift support to the current administration, Arce said she will just do her job since she is not a politician.

“I’m just a public servant. I will abide because that should be the mandate of government employees,” she said.

Arce has been working at Cebu City Hall for 29 years. (FREEMAN)