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Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Nalzaro: Stop talking, mayor
By Bobby Nalzaro
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña should stop imposing his ideas regarding the hosting of the Association of Southeast Asean Nations (Asean) summit because in the first place he is not the head of the organizing committee overseeing its preparations.
The Cebu Organizing Committee is chaired by Ambassador Marciano Paynor, chief protocol officer, and is co-chaired by Gov. Gwen Garcia. Osmeña is an ordinary member of the committee, together with the chief executives of two other cities and a town in Metro Cebu.
In this set up, the mayor is not really the one calling the shots. So he has no business imposing his whims and caprices as far as preparations for the summit is concerned.
He should not even poke his fingers into security matters because it is the main concern of the Central Command and the Presidential Security Group, who are in-charge of this aspect of the summit preparation.
Osmeña should not also use local funds for the purpose because the summit's main venue is either Lapu-Lapu City, where Shangrila Hotel is located, or Mandaue City, where the Cebu International Convention Center will be constructed. Besides, the National Government has allocated money for the event.
Earlier, the mayor said he is willing to spend local funds for the gathering in order to showcase Cebu to the international community. The Cebu City Government spent a huge amount of money for the lavish Charter Day celebration with Osmeña claiming it was a dress rehearsal for the summit.
In fact, if he has his way, Tomas wants Cebu placed under Martial Law, claiming the security of the heads of states and other foreign dignitaries is his primordial concern.
Just recently, the mayor issued statements on the hosting of the summit as if he is the lead officer in the preparations. He wants a four-day holiday declared for the duration of the summit so that people will go out of Cebu. He asked residents to stock food good for four days so there will be less people in supermarkets. He also plans to tell gasoline station owners to close so there will be few vehicles running the city's streets by then.
The problem with Osmeña is that he talks so much. You better shut up, mayor.
(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 8, 2006 issue)
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