Saturday, September 13, 2008 'Mayor has no power over SCR'
UNFAZED by the mayor’s threat, Capitol information consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda yesterday challenged Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña to make good his warning to bar the Garcias from passing through the Cebu South Coastal Road (SCR).
He said Osmeña may try barring Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu, 2nd district) or the mayor’s former lawyer, Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd district), from passing through the coastal road so he would see for himself the result of his action.
In a press conference last Thursday, Osmeña said the Garcias should refrain from passing the coastal road because they have criticized the City’s South Road Properties (SRP) and its other projects merely to advance their own political agenda and personal interests.
Access
In reaction, Rep. Pablo John Garcia said the mayor doesn’t have the right to discourage anyone from using the coastal road as it is a national road and therefore allows access to all citizens.
“Does he own the coastal road? We are not criticizing the road, we pass through the road, but the SRP is not part of the coastal road,” said Garcia, reacting to Osmeña’s statement that the coastal road would not be possible without the SRP.
“If it makes him happy, I will close my eyes the next time I pass by the SRP through the coastal road,” said Garcia.
The Garcias, particularly Pablo John and Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, have criticized the lack of development in the SRP. Capitol officials even remarked that the only beneficiaries of the SRP are the migratory birds while the City’s constituents are languishing in debt.
Pablo John also hit on Osmeña for making “childish remarks.”
“Childish remarks will not help him sell the SRP. He should make intelligent remarks to invite investors,” Pablo John added.
Garganera
Sepulveda said the mayor should not hit back at the Capitol officials if Tinago Barangay Councilor Joel Garganera and his other critics would discredit him and the SRP.
If Garganera challenged him to resign for his failure to sell the SRP, Sepulveda advised the mayor to focus the brunt of his ire on the councilor, and not on the provincial officials.
In fact, the Capitol consultant clarified that they were not criticizing the SRP per se, but the policies of Osmeña in desperately trying to sell the reclamation project.
He added that the Garcias, particularly the governor, would love to pass by the coastal road because of the presence of stray dogs and migratory birds in the area.
The governor’s father, Rep. Pablo Garcia (Cebu, 2nd district), while mentioned by Osmeña in his challenge, said he never said anything about the SRP or the coastal road.
“That’s not really my concern because that is not part of my district. I don’t want to comment because it may be given a different meaning,” said the congressman. (JGA/GMD)
