Urban poor group asks city dad for apology

THE Alliance of Urban Poor Working for Empowerment and Resettlement (All Power) Cebu City Chapter is asking Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia to issue a public apology to their chairman, Floro Enricoso.

In an approved resolution filed by Garcia last March 20, the City Council asked the Human Resource Department Office to investigate personnel allegedly involved in the distribution of maintenance medicines in Sitio Lawis, Barangay Mambaling.

Garcia said there have been reports that a certain Enricoso was allegedly selling the medicines intended for the Long Life Medical Assistance Program (LLAMP).

Enricoso has since denied the reports. He believes that politics is behind the allegations against him as he is a supporter of the administration.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña supported the urban poor leader’s statement.

The mayor said he found out that Enricoso was not a staff member of the Barangay Mayor’s Office in Mambaling. Neither was he working for LLAMP.

In a press statement dated April 4, All Power Cebu urged Garcia to issue a public apology and called him “unethical.”

“Wala sa posisyon si Konsehal Garcia nga ilambigit and pribado nga pagkatawo ni Enricoso sa sala nga wala niya buhata. Naghimo dayon siya og resolusyon nga wala man gani mupahigayon og validation subay sa iyang kapasidad isip konsehal sa syudad sa Sugbo,” they said.

“Ang gibuhat nga pagpakatag sa peke nga isyu ni Konsehal Garcia sa pagpalabang og resolusyon makapadismaya sa katawhang kabus. Usa kini ka pagbugal-bugal sa status sa mga kabus. Iya na gihusgahan si Enricoso sa sala nga wala buhata,” they added.

Garcia, though, sees no need to issue a public apology on the matter.

“It was approved by the council, so if ever somebody has to apologize, it should be the entire council. It was approved by everybody, so he should also demand an apology from the council,” he told reporters.

A lawyer, Garcia emphasized that the resolution called for a probe, and did not accuse Enricoso of selling the free medicines.

“For me, there is no need to apologize.”

But All Power warned that they will be pressing charges against the councilor should he decline to issue a public apology.

Garcia, though, is unfazed by the pronouncement.

“Go ahead and let’s see if there’s a cause of action to file a case against me because it was just calling for an investigation. I never maligned anybody. There was no libel or defamation, nothing of that sort,” he said. (RTF)