Suspended City Engineers may “Spill the Beans”- Osmeña

Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña believed that the reason why Mayor Michael Rama is hesitant to implement the Ombudsman’s order to preventively suspend the three city engineers accused of grave misconduct is that he is afraid that they will retaliate by “spilling the beans.”

Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol had already clarified that the motion for reconsideration that was filed by the three respondents cannot stop the implementation of the preventive suspension order issued against June Nadine Sison, Juanito Pua and Joel Pasatiempo, all under the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW).

Osmena said “Because if he will do it the three engineers may spill the beans. It is very obvious, I can’t think of any other explanations anyway let the people penalize him during the Election day.”

In a separate interview with the reporters, mayor Rama said he is ready to implement the Ombudsman order as he already asked the City Legal Office to prepare the suspension order against the concerned personnel.

Rama explained that the reason why there was a delay in the implementation of the order of the Ombudsmkan is that he asked first the advice from City Legal Officer Joseph Bernaldez of what to do after learning that the respondents had filed a motion for reconsideration of the suspension order.

The three engineers were accused by private contractor Robert Montenegro of allegedly demanding from him one brand new computer and a “high-tech” camera that prompted him to file charges to give them lessons.

Montenegro said because he had already given the respondents with some incentives, he did not hesitate to turn down their demands for computers and camera, but he claimed the respondents retaliated by suspending his project and refused to release the 10 percent retention money about P150,000 of the road concreting project that he had undertaken in Barangay Toong.

These allegations are denied by the respondent engineers.