Tuesday, January 30, 2007 Speak out: Giving something back By Tony Padua Lapu-Lapu City
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña had said that Muslim terrorist groups like JI attempted to set up shop in Cebu City shortly before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, but were rebuffed by the local Muslim community.
Obviously, the mayor’s office has a good relationship with local Muslim leaders.
Tomas Osmeña is a really difficult personality to nail down. For one, he is accused of ignoring vigilante murders in Cebu City. His personal bodyguard is Adonis Dumpit, a police officer with a reputation for shooting first and asking later.
But Mayor Osmeña is a law and order guy; he clearly admires heroes, which is what he expects from the police.
Then during the Asean Summit, Mayor Osmeña indicated that disagreeing with the government is not against the law; disagreement being a sign of a healthy democracy.
This came out during some difficult confrontations with demonstrators while President Arroyo and Governor Garcia were busy doing photo ops at the new Cebu International Convention Center. I mean, someone has to do the grunt work, right?
Then last, but not least, when a package with a bomb was discovered at SM City Cebu, a head of the Muslim community suggested to Mayor Osmeña that Muslims be allowed to help guard the mall. And Mayor Osmeña saw the wisdom of this. So now the Muslim community of Cebu “has skin in the game,” a stake in what happens.
Payback was when a terrorist group tried to establish contacts here; the terrorists were told to go elsewhere.
Mayor Osmeña is up for re-election. It’s time to give something back.
