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Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Seares: ‘Hysteria’ of 2 hosts
By Pachico A. Seares
News Sense
National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, who had his first baptism of heckling in Cebu, was also exposed to the angst of local hosts to the Asean summit.
In a weekend trip, he learned about (a) Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s push to whip up people’s anxiety into paranoia and (b) Mandaue City Mayor Ted Ouano’s fear that 80 terrorists were out to kill him and other Gloria loyalists.
The heckling Gonzales survived. It’s the deep worry of technically 50 percent of the leadership of host LGUs he’ll find more daunting.
Cebu City and Mandaue City are two of four hosts, along with Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova town. Cebu, through Gov. Gwen Garcia, is local lead organizer.
Agitated.
Gwen has been cool. Lapu-Lapu’s Art Radaza and Cordova’s Arl Sitoy have been quiet. Tomas is the most agitated, with, lately, Ted pitching in.
Gonzales told local journalists the entire AFP hunts for 20 terrorists in Mindanao, so it must need a lot more to catch 80 terrorists in Cebu.
He may be exaggerating army force and downsizing terror threat — a “dagdag bawas” bit? — but one gets the drift.
As to Tomas’s anxiety, Gonzales told me he’d ask the mayor about tapping community spirit to watch out for terrorists but he’d urge him not to move people into a frenzy of fear.
“Can you really tell him that?” I asked but I wasn’t sure if he heard. He was already being towed away by his security force.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 20, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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