Thursday, June 07, 2007 Editorials: More on the Lahug controversy
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña's reaction to recent developments in the Lahug school building controversy is understandable.
He has to save face and that’s what he is doing in telling Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos to comply with requirements or he’ll stop work on the building.
Capitol has given de los Santos P5 million and other forms of help, assurance enough that the construction of the building will start soon if not blocked by City Hall.
The help, plus the "Piso Mo, Eskwelahan Ko" fund raising campaign, blunted whatever intention Osmeña had in stopping the construction of the building earlier.
His latest ranting is therefore his way of telling Capitol and de los Santos that they still need to go to him if they want to proceed with their plans.
Capitol’s help
Meanwhile, the entry of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and the Provincial Government into the picture has changed the complexion of the controversy.
From being merely an attempt by Osmeña to put de los Santos in a bad light, it has already been included in the sometimes vicious Gwen vs. Tom O tug-of-war.
Meaning, the schoolchildren’s interest could have become but an afterthought.
It would be appropriate, then, to remind all those involved in the controversy---Osmeña, de los Santos, the Capitol---that the core point here is not politics but education.
Pressure needed
Of course, one cannot expect the protagonists to shape up voluntarily.
Pressure must therefore be put on them from the outside, by the public especially, so the tug-of-war won’t result in the scuttling of the project.
Council’s role
The Cebu City Council, on the other hand, is starting to make a noise although many people do not believe its members have the guts to stand up to the mayor.
Still, councilors can either worsen the quarrel by coming up with moves that will prop up Osmeña’s vindictive thrusts or they can play the usual cooler heads.
This is a big challenge for Vice Mayor Michael Rama who, in the last elections, resented a campaign advertisement describing him as a puppet of the mayor.
Will his action on this mess be his vindication or will it prove the claim of his critics?
