Wednesday, June 13, 2007 Barrita: Lucky Lahug By Eddie O. Barrita Small Bites
THE running feud between Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos may end up in Lahug’s favor.
Vice Mayor Mike Rama now says the P15-million Lahug school building the mayor scrapped “will stand” while Mary Ann is feverish in putting up her own with Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia’s P5 million fund and “Piso Mo, Eskwelahan Ko” donations. Lahug may end up with having two school buildings.
Their feud may continue but let’s remind them both of the school building they owe Lahug’s schoolchildren.
Like the story of a contractor who put two teams of engineers and workers on both sides of the mountain to dig a tunnel.
“If you don’t meet at the center,” the contractor told them, “just continue digging so we’ll end up with two tunnels.”
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Mayor Osmeña has called illegal Mary Ann’s fund drive for the school project but now wants her to turn over the funds she raised to City Hall.
He can be like what Don Ameche’s character in the gangster movie “Things Change” said, “Great man, he knows the value of a small coin.”
On second thought, P5 million from Capitol is no small coin.
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Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal said he will only mediate in the conflict between Mayor Osmeña and Gov. Gwen if the two are willing to talk.
He won’t stay in the middle of a cockfight, Vidal was quoted as saying by archdiocesan media liaison officer Msgr. Achilles Dakay.
No, it’s not a cockfight; it’s a quarrel over prime real estate.
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It’s now clear Cebu second district congressman-elect Pablo Garcia won’t get the votes of all Cebuano House members in his speakership bid against speaker Joe de Venecia (JDV).
Rep. Raul del Mar of Cebu City’s north district, sticking to his palabra de honor, has said he is for JDV because he has given his word before Garcia announced his bid.
Well, Pablo Garcia can find solace in the thought that a prophet is not honored in his own country.
But his secret weapon, Governor Gwen, may yet clinch for him the speakership.
