Thursday, November 30, 2006 Espinoza: Better leave Cebu during the summit By Elias l. Espinoza Free Zone
IN about two weeks, the Asean summit will begin. Although the gathering is a National Government responsibility, officials of the Province of Cebu and the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Cebu have been on their toes preparing for it as venue host.
Preparation hasn’t been a walk in the park. Aside from public criticism on huge spending, government officials have to contend with terrorism and other threats.
Construction of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) also became controversial. Gov. Gwen Garcia’s blood pressure shot up when commentators claimed the facility won’t be finished on time and won’t be used as venue of the summit.
But the negative comments do not mean that the critics want the CICC to fail. Some of those I talked with want the facility to be used as summit venue even if they thought it wouldn’t be finished. They agree that the CICC is Cebu’s pride.
Bridges and flyovers were painted for the first time. Roads to be used by Asean delegates were resurfaced with bitumen and the islands adorned with plants. Expensive street lights were installed.
But Metro Cebu residents living in areas far from the ceremonial routes will have to continue to bear with the dilapidated and unlighted streets. It is unfair but that’s part of life. *** Holding rallies to express grievances against the government is a constitutionally guaranteed right. To restrain it in any form is to violate freedom of expression.
Cause-oriented groups holding rallies during the summit is not unexpected. The opportunity to get international media mileage is so great it would be wrong to miss it.
But preventing them from doing their thing during the summit is like barring opinion writers and radio commentators from expressing their views and criticizing the misdeeds of government. Still, these activities should be subject to regulations.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, on his own, has lifted the “No Permit, No Rally” policy of the government. Apparently, he is doing this to get leverage from cause-oriented groups so they will be forced to hold their rallies only in designated areas.
Osmeña, in forging an agreement with Bayan, may look good to summit organizers but I just hope he did not fall into a trap. I could be wrong, but past experiences will tell us that cause-oriented groups do not like holding rallies in a contained area. They will march in the streets to dramatize their position.
With major routes closed and cause-oriented groups marching around, we might as well leave Metro Cebu and go home to our respective towns during the summit, like what Osmeña has suggested. After all, there is nothing for us to see in the gathering.
