City Chief of Staff Threatens Scholar

Mayor Michael Rama’s chief of staff Philip Zafra has been accused by the president of the Cebu City Scholars of threatening him because he is supporting the mayoralty bid of Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña.

Gerald Lariosa who take up Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at the Asian College of Technology (ACT) narrated that Zafra called him up through his mobile phone at shortly before noon last Tuesday and told him to stop supporting Osmeña.

Lariosa has decided to record his conversation with Zafra over the phone and allowed other city scholars to hear it during the press conference at the Mariners Court at past 1 p.m. yesterday.

According to Lariosa, he was so scared when Zafra warned him and said “Basta ako Gerald ayaw lang g’yud ko’g binuangi wala ka makaila nako. Kon magpadala ka anang Nanette pirmi bantay ka lang ha?”

Zafra is referring to Nanette Garong, the anchor of the paid-radio program of the Bando Osmeña Pundok-Kauswagan (BOPK) aired over DYLA.

“Dili g’yud ko magpanuko Gerald, warningan tika nga ayaw padala anang politika’s pikas kay og imo gani nga sagolan og pamolitika ang serbisyo sa gobyierno ako ang imong maatubang,” Lariosa quoted Zafra during their phone conversation.

Afraid of the warning of Zafra, Lariosa has decided to have the threat blottered at the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO)-Station 2 situated at Osmeña Boulevard corner R. R. Landon Street then continue to hold a press conference attended by other officials of city scholars from different schools in the city.

In an interview, Zafra admitted he called up Lariosa but his purpose is just to remind him that he should submit his liquidation report about the “cash advances” that was granted to him for the various projects of the city scholars.

Zafra said it was the time that he warned Lariosa to settle the amount given to him rather than to make political issues and destroyed the city’s scholarship program.

“May nagsulti man gud nako nga kana si Lariosa ingnon niya ang mga city scholars nga kon makadaug si Mayor Rama dili na ipadayon ang scholarship, binuang na man na’ng iya,” said Zafra.

In a related issue, Osmeña is also complaining because the Team Rama propagandists are also making black propaganda that if he will win as mayor on Monday the poor families living in lot that does not belong to them shall be evicted.

Osmeña said he also received reports that the Team Rama propagandists said that the cash assistance to the senior citizens will be reduced and the teachers will be made to refund the cash assistance given to him by Rama last December, which he said are pure lies. –