Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Seares: ‘Can you eat’ CICC or SRP? By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
IT started with the mayor saying Cebu Province is worse off than Cebu City and Siquijor when it comes to reducing child malnutrition.
Mayor Tomas Osmeńa couldn’t resist hitting Capitol: Its officials chose to build the international convention center instead of feeding malnourished kids. “Maybe they can eat CICC,” the mayor said.
Rep. Pablo John Garcia, defending Capitol, said the Province built CICC without sacrificing basic services such as fighting malnutrition.
Capitol has P2 billion-plus assets with no debts, which can’t be said, PJ said, about the City whose budget is eaten up mostly by the loans on South Road Properties (formerly, South Reclamation Project). PJ couldn’t resist striking back, “Can they eat SRP?”
Children of both City and Province, malnourished or not, will think Tomas and PJ are nuts: How can anyone eat CICC or SRP?
Non sequiturs
“Eating” here is figurative, to be sure, but try telling children why grownups sometimes behave like kids even if they use adult language.
It confuses even fully grown people: What have CICC and SRP got to do with malnutrition rates?
On those projects, the issue is no longer skewed priority or poor judgment. Both CICC and SRP are there standing, unless, heavens forbid, God will tear down CICC and flood SRP and the builders will talk of rebuilding.
Tomas now can’t question why they built CICC, just as the mayor’s critics can’t question why they built SRP. No longer relevant.
Was CICC a bad idea? Why were safety nets for the SRP loan not provided? Moot. Non sequiturs.
