AFTER being put on the spotlight by his political opponent, businessman Jonathan Guardo retaliated by questioning Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s “lavish” lifestyle and asking where he gets the money for his household expenses and campaign.
Guardo pointed out that a mayor earns only P30,000 a month, yet Osmeña can afford to fly first class to the United States twice a year, and was able to seek treatment for his cancer at the best cancer center in the world.
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In a press statement issued yesterday, Guardo challenged Osmeña to explain to the people where he gets the money to afford such lifestyle, when he is not known to have other sources of income.
“My question is where do you get money to spend for the campaign of BOPK candidates, including yourself, the past 20 years? We all know you traveled to the States several times the past year for cancer treatment,” Guardo said in his press statement.
He said this a day after Osmeña distributed to City Hall reporters copies of the complaint for malversation of public funds that the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) filed against Guardo.
Osmeña and Guardo will face each other in the south district congressional race next year.
“If you’re earning only P360,000 a year and spend a million pesos alone for airfare to the States the past year, where do you get your money for food, salary for house help, payment of your utility bills? I hope you can explain this to the people of the city,” he continued.
But according to the mayor’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth filed with the Office of the Ombudsman last June, his annual gross salary from City Hall is P464,679 or P38,723.25 a month, but he declared an annual gross family income of P751,679.
Guardo said it is unfortunate that the mayor is using the Southeast Asian Games funds issue against him, but is confident that the case against him will be dismissed.
Sought for comment, Osmeña said he is not using the case to destroy Guardo because it is the PSC that filed the case against him.
“I don’t buy first-class tickets. Cathay Pacific upgrades me when there is a vacancy because they know I’m sick and I’m grateful for it. And I have a million dollar health insurance policy from IMG for the past years and Minnie pays for it.
Without that, I may be dead and Atan (Guardo) will be happy,” he said.
Guardo estimated that each first-class ticket could cost $3,000 each. And since the mayor traveled with his wife and son, he said that Osmeña could have easily spent P500,000 per travel.
He also pointed out that the mayor’s family went to the US at least twice last year, and that each checkup at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas could cost P10 million.
Guardo said that while the mayor has yet to explain his lifestyle, he has been using his own money to help the people of the south district through burial assistance program, health care and sports projects.
“The funds used for these projects come from my own pocket,” he said.
Meanwhile, the mayor’s sister Georgia Osmeña will launch today the “Go Cebu,” which she said is a group of people who share her vision for Cebu City.
She said, though, that she will not announce her lineup of candidates for city councilors and vice mayor today, but will do so at the end of the month.
How does he live on P30T/month?
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