Osmeña welcomes resignation of city administrator

Local

CEBU City Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña welcomed the resignation of Cebu City Administrator Albert Tan, saying the move could help address what he described as persistent internal management problems at City Hall.

“It’s a plus, it’s good,” Osmeña said Wednesday, Oct. 7, when asked about Tan’s resignation.

Osmeña, a longtime critic of Tan’s performance as city administrator, said Tan’s departure was a positive development but cautioned that it would not, by itself, resolve the city government’s administrative problems.

“But there’s still a lot of things that have to be done in City Hall. There’s very, very poor internal management,” Osmeña said.

He attributed much of the problem to the City Administrator’s Office and said it remained uncertain whether Tan’s replacement would perform better.

“But definitely, it’s a step in the right direction,” Osmeña said.

Mayor Nestor Archival separately confirmed on Wednesday that Tan had formally resigned from his post.

Archival said Tan’s resignation letter had been forwarded to the Human Resources Office.

The confirmation marks a change from the city government’s earlier characterization of Tan’s status as being on leave.

On Sept. 28, Archival’s chief of staff, Kenneth Siasar, said Tan had voluntarily stepped aside as city administrator and chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) while the mayor investigated concerns raised by suppliers about the city’s procurement process.

At the time, Siasar stressed that Tan had not resigned.

He said his leave was intended to allow the investigation to proceed and give Tan an opportunity to clear his name.

The administration had also said Tan’s return would depend on the outcome of the inquiry.

With Tan’s resignation, City Attorney Briccio Joseph Boholst is set to take on the city administrator’s role on a more formal basis, according to Archival.

Boholst had already been designated acting city administrator under a Sept. 28 memorandum while continuing to serve as city attorney.

The City Council earlier this week also approved a resolution moved by Councilor Winston Pepito granting Boholst authority to sign checks, debit memoranda and other pertinent documents involving the city’s bank accounts.

The authority is subject to the scope and conditions set out in Archival’s memorandum designating Boholst as acting city administrator.

Archival said the transition should not disrupt City Hall operations.

He noted that Boholst had already secured the council’s approval concerning documents requiring signatures and action.

The resignation comes after months of public criticism from Osmeña, who had repeatedly questioned Tan’s capacity to manage the city bureaucracy.

In April, Osmeña described Tan as “completely incompetent” and said he could not be part of the leadership formula needed for Archival to succeed.

At the time, Archival defended Tan and said he remained confident in his city administrator.

“For me, Albert is working. I realize that he has produced something, so I stand by my city admin,” Archival said in March.

The mayor had also previously downplayed differences between him and Osmeña, saying officials could have different standards and opinions on governance.(TGP)