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Thursday, August 31, 2006
Retract your ‘dawat limpyo’ statement, Pablo John to Rama; Mike skips speech
Vice Mayor Michael Rama did not deliver a privilege speech in yesterday’s Cebu City Council session on the land swap issue.
Cebu Province consultant Pablo John Garcia earlier demanded that he apologize to Capitol before the City Council over utterances he made in a March session that angered Capitol officials.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, however, just asked the council to come up with a stand on the proposed swap of properties after the initial falling out.
The council did last week by endorsing the deal.
Rama said that after reading yesterday’s papers, he felt he no longer need to deliver a speech.
“It may not be good that I will give a privilege speech. I will just leave it that way,” he said.
He made the decision on his way to City Hall from the airport yesterday morning.
But Capitol consultant on information, organization and management Pablo John Garcia wants Rama to “retract” his “dawat limpyo” statement before they will open doors for possible renegotiation on the land swap deal.
“Retract it (dawat limpyo) and explain to the people whether he is still against it (deal) because from his kilometric statements, we can’t get any inkling as to his real sentiment. He thinks he can confuse the people enough so that he would not have to explain what his sentiments are by coming up with paragraphs and paragraphs of words,” said Garcia, younger brother of the governor.
Rama earlier objected to the deal because it included lots that the residents already paid in full under the socialized housing scheme of Provincial Ordinance 93-1.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña, in a separate interview, said he “really doesn’t like to be drawn into the situation” and, instead, hoped emotions will die down.
“I really don’t want to condemn and ruffle feathers more than I have to,” the mayor said.
He said it is not technical problem but a “grievance problem” after Capitol felt slighted over a statement Rama made last March.
However, when asked, he said it would help if Rama apologizes to Capitol.
He likened the situation to the time he was called “satan” by the Basilica del Sto. Niño rector for removing the vendors along Osmeña Blvd., and installing a barricade on the church gate’s entrance and exit.
He said that although the new rector tried to assuage him and made a courtesy call, he felt it is appropriate for the rector to make redress by taking back the tag at the pulpit also.
The council last Aug. 23 approved on mass motion a resolution authorizing Osmeña to renegotiate with Gov. Garcia to prevent the eviction of thousands of families occupying provincial lots in the city.
Capitol already sent eviction notices, specifically to families in Barangay Luz. It is also preparing to send notices to 1,400 other families in Barangays Lahug and Camputhaw.
In approving the resolution, the council asked the mayor “to put a premium on public interest, especially on the more than 5,000 affected families.”
It likewise requested Garcia to “suspend or hold in abeyance any further action against occupants of Province-owned lots in Barangays Luz and Capitol Site, who already received notices of eviction, pending negotiations between the mayor and the governor.”
Negotiations to swap a Cebu City-owned 3.4-hectare lot at the North Reclamation Area with the Province’s lots in 12 barangays in the city failed last year, after Capitol officials were offended by the City Council’s apprehensions on the deal. (RHM/With MBG)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 31, 2006 issue)
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