Monday, March 19, 2007
Lito Osmeña casts lot with Gwen rival
AFTER fielding separate candidates for Cebu governor in 2004, the Martinez and Osmeña families appear headed for an alliance this year, this time against reelectionist Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
“She would have been my candidate until I realized that she’s so Imeldific. Gusto kaayo’g mga buildings, mga monuments,” former Cebu governor Lito Osmeña said at a press conference yesterday that was also attended by 2004 gubernatorial candidate Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr.
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Governor Garcia, when sought for comment, cited her infrastructure, tourism promotion, health insurance and disaster relief projects, apart from the construction of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
“I am submitting myself to the judgment of the people, whether I have done well, whether my best was good enough,” she told Sun.Star in a phone interview.
With less than two weeks until the deadline for local aspirants to officially declare their candidacy, the choices for Garcia’s opponent on May 14 are down to two, according to Osmeña: Martinez and Rep. Antonio Yapha (Cebu, 3rd district).
A Martinez or Yapha candidacy will further emphasize, as an election issue, the proposal to create more provinces in Cebu. Martinez’s wife Clavel is the author of the Cebu del Norte proposal, while Yapha has sought to make the third district into the province of Occidental Cebu.
‘Advice’
The group already has a candidate for vice governor but Osmeña didn’t reveal who, saying he hasn’t talked to the candidate yet.
Junie Martinez said yesterday there is nothing definite yet, but a decision will be known within the week. “Kung ang kontra nagtuo nga wa’y kontra, sayop sila (If they think they’re running unopposed, they’re wrong),” he said.
Martinez, however, also said his political plans will factor in the newly approved conversion of Bogo, where he served as municipal mayor, into a city.
Osmeña revealed yesterday that his good relations with the governor turned sour after she refused to heed “good advice.” He didn’t specify which advice Garcia didn’t follow, but commented that the government should not do what the private sector can.
He criticized the construction of the P515-million CICC, saying the funds could have been used to construct a freeway.
“That beautiful building should really be there, spent for by the National Government. What business do Cebuanos have in helping the National Government, when we are already a colony of the National Government? Half of our income is taken by the National Government. Cebu contributes twice as much to the National Government as the National Government spends back on Cebu,” Osmeña said.
Spending
Osmeña was at the press conference of Provincial Board Member Gabriel Luis Quisumbing, who formally announced his bid for Congress yesterday.
Also present were Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Cordova Vice Mayor Danilo Sinugbuhan, Mandaue City Councilor Jonas Cortes, Martinez and his wife, Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez.
Osmeña, who was Cebu governor from 1988 to 1992, said he is not running for public office even if he wanted to, because of health reasons.
He criticized Garcia, though, saying he thinks that she is “grossly mismanaging the province.”
“Where is she spending the money? Everywhere else but where it should be.”
Garcia, in a separate interview, cited the province’s P2-billion surplus, its total absence of debt and the fact that it is “the number one province in the country in assets and revenues.”
“We are putting in projects that people longed for from past administrations, including his (Osmeña). Mao ni atong nahimo. Siya ma’y nag-una, nganong wa mani niya nahimo? (We did all these. He was ahead of me, but why did he fail to do these things?),” she said.
‘Promdi’
By the end of her term, Garcia said, the Capitol will have asphalted 447 kilometers of provincial road and upgraded all 69 provincial bridges from timber to concrete.
She likewise said that because of her, Cebu has the biggest number of Philhealth insurance enrollees among local government units; and several towns, including Bantayan island, have received water projects.
She also mentioned the upgrading of Balamban and Carcar’s hospitals into provincial hospitals; the improvements introduced into the Capitol’s other health facilities; distribution of school supplies, armchairs and computers to public elementary school students; and construction of 200 classrooms.
This is aside from financial assistance to constituents in distress such as fire victims, and aid to other provinces like when the Guimaras oil spill and the Guinsaugon, Leyte landslide happened.
“All these, in spite of building the CICC, where 16 heads of state met for the Asean and East Asia summits that put Cebu at the center of the world stage,” she said.
“If that is mismanagement in his book, I would not want to read his book,” said the governor, who attended San Francisco, Camotes’ Soli-soli Festival yesterday. Garcia is on her first term.
She also cited the Suroy-Suroy program that “made the towns the star” of the tourism program, a project that benefits “the promdi that he (Osmeña) was so big on talking about.” (AAG/JPM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (March 19, 2006 issue)
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