WHILE dismissing reports of a death threat allegedly issued by a family with ties to the Abu Sayaff against Mayor Michael Rama, Rep. Tomas Osme帽a of Cebu City鈥檚 south district said he won鈥檛 discount the possibility of his successor being shot.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a fake death threat. But maybe someday someone will shoot him if he treats people like that but not the Abu Sayaff,鈥 Osme帽a said.
The death threat stemmed from the mayor鈥檚 insistence to proceed with the clearing operations in Mahiga Creek.
The former mayor said he finds it 鈥渞idiculous鈥 and hard to believe that the threat relayed in a letter sent to the mayor鈥檚 office came from the Abu Sayaff.
Osme帽a said the Abu Sayaff were not crusaders for the poor.
He said the threat would have been more credible if it came from the New People鈥檚 Army (NPA), which involves itself in land tenure disputes. 鈥淭here is clear frustration in the guy (letter-sender). But who will not be frustrated?鈥 Osme帽a said.
He said issues on housing like the Mahiga Creek demolition and the 93-1 concerns create unrest. 鈥淚t is aggravated when somebody dies,鈥 he said.
Osme帽a chided Rama for not spending money for financial aid to settlers while paying P20 million to renovate the mayor鈥檚 office and allocating P5 million for Christmas lights, which the Commission on Audit (COA) later questioned.
鈥淚鈥檓 just trying to tell you the facts. It鈥檚 for the people to draw their own conclusion,鈥 he said.
At the Mahiga Creek, former Akbayan partylist representative Riza Hontiveros-Bacquerel said the city government鈥檚 failure to provide a relocation constitutes a violation of human rights.
Hontiveros, who met with settlers of San Isidro II in barangay Mabolo, said she heard about their plight from Councilor Alvin Dizon.
She said the rights of the settlers were violated with the demolition of their homes without a relocation site.
The city government is reviewing potential relocation sites for the Mahiga Creek settlers such as sitio St. Michael in barangay Talamban, a hinterland village.