Row in OSCA erupts as current, former heads clash

Local

THE former head of Cebu City’s Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), Homer Mariano Cabaral, was accused of disrupting office operations and unlawfully issuing directives to staff.

Current OSCA Executive Director Chito Aragon has filed harassment charges against Cabaral, citing incidents of intimidation, coercion, and usurpation of authority.

On Monday October 28, Aragon announced his intention to gather a police report and submit an incident report to the City Administrator’s Office after disruptions began on October 23.

During that initial incident, Cabaral reportedly entered the OSCA office, claimed he was still in charge, and instructed employees to follow his orders, leaving them uncertain about whose authority to respect.

Cabaral's assertions are based on his belief that the dismissal of Mayor Michael Rama was invalid, which he argues should preserve his coterminous contract.

Aragon emphasized that Cabaral's insistence on being recognized as the head of OSCA has caused significant disruption, particularly when he directed employees to have him sign all documents.

In a phone interview, Cabaral maintained that Garcia lacks the authority to terminate coterminous employees while Rama's term remains unresolved.

He expressed that the case against Rama has not reached a final conclusion, suggesting that the termination of his appointment is therefore not valid.

Conversely, Mayor Raymond Garcia clarified that the terms of coterminous employees, including Cabaral, ended with the conclusion of their appointing authority.

He explained that with Rama's term officially ending due to the Ombudsman’s dismissal, all associated coterminous appointments were also terminated. Garcia stressed that the Ombudsman’s ruling is effective regardless of any pending appeals.

Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., chair of the Senior Citizens’ Affairs Committee, confirmed that Aragon’s report has been forwarded to the appropriate offices.

He noted that the council's nomination of Mikel Rama for a vacant council seat on October 23 further validated Garcia's position as the legitimate mayor.

This situation follows the Ombudsman’s October 3 decision to dismiss Rama from office and impose a ban on him from public service due to nepotism and serious misconduct related to the hiring of two brothers-in-law as city employees.(MyTVCebu)