Friday, January 12, 2007 ‘Stay at home, watch summit doings on TV’
HERE’S how you can help make this weekend’s Southeast Asian summit a success: “Stay out of the way,” suggested Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
He assured that security for the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit delegates and VIPs is tight, but feared that terrorists might target Cebuanos instead.
He made the statement following Wednesday night’s bombings in General Santos, Cotabato and Kidapawan that left at least seven persons dead.
“Our citizenry is very alert. This reduces the risk. But that will not give you any guarantee. So stay home. You want to watch the laag-laag? Tan-aw na lang sa TV, nindot na, safe pa (Watch the activities on TV. It’s safer that way),” he said.
By “laag-laag” (sight-seeing), he meant this Sunday’s Asean spouses’ tour of Cebu City landmarks, and the unveiling of the Asean friendship marker in the Family Park in Barangay Talamban.
The mayor again criticized the government’s indecision over the declaration of a four-day holiday he requested.
After granting his request that the summit’s original schedule last Dec. 11-14 be declared a holiday, President Arroyo had yielded to the business sector’s request to exempt private companies from the declaration.
With the Asean formally starting today, President Arroyo has issued another order, this time declaring a holiday for today and Monday, Jan. 15. Only schools and government agencies are covered, though.
“You have to be consistent. But I think they resolved that now compared to the reckless postponement (of the Asean summit) they did before,” he said, referring to last December’s decision to put off the summit, on account of typhoon Seniang. (RHM)
