Friday, August 17, 2007
Asean summit was ‘a comedy of errors’
ALTHOUGH he is honored to receive the Presidential Medal of Merit, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña still believes the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit was a “comedy of errors.”
Osmeña was among the local chief executives and lawmakers who got the medal for their contributions to the success of the summit last January.
But because he had several meetings here, the mayor skipped the awarding ceremony at the Malacañang Palace in Manila last Tuesday night and sent City Protocol Officer Nagiel Bañacia instead.
“I’m honored by the medal but I have to prioritize, I had many things to do. It’s very thoughtful of the President to give out the medals but it was not necessary because it was our responsibility. We’re just doing our job,” Osmeña said yesterday.
The mayor said it was fitting that Bañacia received the award, as the latter worked hard on the City Government’s assignment for the summit, specifically the foreign media.
Other recipients of the Presidential Medals of Merit are former Man-daue City mayor Thadeo Ouano, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor
Arturo Radaza, Reps. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north), Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south) and Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th
district).
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo was given the highest rank, the Supremo or Grand Collar. Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia was given the second highest rank, the Bayani or Grand Cross, while Ambassador Marciano Paynor got the rank of Maringal na Pinuno or Grand Officer.
Osmeña said yesterday he is not in the position to analyze who deserves the medals, but what is important is that the summit held at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) and the Shangri-la Mactan Island Resort and Spa was successful.
“If you ask me, it was a comedy of errors... I thought it was a serious mistake for Paynor to postpone the summit. It was unnecessary, or so I thought,” he said.
“But he postponed it then it rained and the CICC got flooded because the roofs were leaking. It’s good that he postponed it. Otherwise it would have been a big embarrassment for all of us. The postponement gave them time to fix the roof,” Osmeña said.
The mayor said that if there was one important contribution he made, it would be his efforts in convincing militant groups not to confront police officials during a rally, when they tried to approach the Malacañang sa Sugbo.
For businessman Crisologo Saavedra, the award that went to Governor Garcia should go to Osmeña instead.
Giving a presidential award to someone who “does not deserve” it is an “insult to the intelligence of the Cebuanos,” he commented.
Saavedra has accused Garcia and other Capitol officials of irregularities in the transactions relating to the summit and filed complaints against them for the expenses related to the Cebu International Convention Center, one of the summit venues.
But Capitol consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda said Saavedra’s statement on the award is an “insult to the President,” who gave the award.
“Porbida pud ning Manoy Cris uy, ug magpalapad kag papel sa usa ka tawo, ayaw kaayo’g insultuha ang Presidente (If you want to flatter one person, just be sure you don’t insult the President),” said Sepulveda. (LCR/JPM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 17, 2007 issue)
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