Osmeña to File More Cases Vs. Acting City Treasurer

Former Cebu City lawmaker Tomas R. Osmeña still not satisfied of the strings of administrative cases that he filed against Acting Cebu City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas before the Civil Service Commission, this time he will also file more cases before the Department of Finance in Manila.

Osmeña explained that his decision of filing another set of administrative complaints against Cuevas before the Department of Finance is to ensure that she would be terminated from her position.

He cited the case of American gangster Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone who was convicted of the case because of his bookeeper who testified against him in court. “Diwa is the bookeeper of (Mayor) Mike Rama. If we cripple the bookeeper we can help cut down corruption in the City Hall by at least 50 percent.”

“Because ang problema ni Diwa mopirma siya bisan unsa and she continue to violate the rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit. So we have to put an end to this that is why we are filing cases against her,” Osmeña said.

According to the former lawmaker that, aside from Cuevas, he will also file another cases against Acting Cebu City Accountant Mark Rosell Salomon because the questionable transactions at the City Hall had passed on him.

Under the procedure, all financial transactions shall pass first before the City Accounting Office for pre-audit that is why Osmeña has decided to also file cases against Salomon, who had passed the bar only last year.

Cuevas said she is wondering on why she is singled out by Osmeña when in fact there are some other city officials, that include the mayor, who had signed the transactions that had an adverse opinion from COA that the former lawmaker made as basis of filing his complaint.

“Well, she can use that as her defense before the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Finance. She can claim why only me. Don’y worry, if she want to include Rama she should be a state witness against him because I know that she knows a lot. I’m willing to help her to become state witness against Rama,” Osmeña said.

Mayor Rama on the other hand said “Naunsa na man tawon na siya uy. Ang trabaho ni Tommy ron, mura og taga department of filing of cases. Mora man sab og walay kwestyonable sa transaction panahon sa iyang administrasyon kaniadto.”

Osmeña said COA had found several questionable financial transactions of the city under the stint of Cuevas as city treasurer. But Cuevas said some of the issues raised by Osmeña did not happen during her stint, but it was during his predecessors.

Meanwhile, the Department of Finance had already extended Cuevas’ term as acting treasurer of Cebu City until March of next year.