Thursday, October 09, 2008 Tomas, Margot off to U.S.
MAYOR-on-leave Tomas Osmeña left Cebu City officials with the task of selling the South Road Properties (SRP), and his critics with a stern warning not to sabotage the proposals of interested buyers.
His fate, he said, he will leave to the Sto. Niño.
Shortly before leaving yesterday noon to seek treatment in the United States, Osmeña warned his critics that the City will fight back when any of them delays the sale of the SRP lots.
“I’d like to give a warning to those who hate me so much that they’re willing to sabotage the SRP in order to put us down. This is a very strong warning that if they want to file cases against us, as they have been filing cases against us in the last 10 years, this time we will fight them in court,” he said.
“We will fight them and we will fight back using every tool that we have. And we want the Cebuanos to support us because this is really a form of economic sabotage against the future of Cebu,” Osmeña said.
He recalled the cases filed against the City officials and the delays caused by his cousin and former senator John Henry “Sonny” Osmeña and Tinago Barangay Councilor Joel Garganera on the SRP deals.
Knowing the track record of his critics, the City and the public should already have an idea of what they might do now that the City is evaluating Filinvest Land Inc.’s (FLI) offer to develop a 50-hectare portion of the SRP, he said.
“Let that be a very clear warning to them. Don’t think that I’m a weak guy. They have done it in the past, they wanted to return the SRP to the National Government, they filed all sorts of cases and we have been tolerant. But now it’s a very critical point and if they will pursue a case, we’ll fight back,” he continued.
Osmeña and his wife Margot left Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 12:30 noon for New York via Hong Kong on board Cathay Pacific Flight CX920.
Acting Mayor Michael Rama, City Administrator Francisco Fernandez, several city councilors, department heads and the couple’s friends saw the mayor off at the airport.
Waiting passengers and their relatives and even airport employees greeted the Osmeñas and wished them well as they walked to the departure area.
While waiting for his flight, the mayor-on-leave continued to sign documents, discussed the SRP transactions with consultants and granted the media an interview.
Osmeña is on a one-month sick leave to seek second opinion on the findings of his doctors who found a tumor in his urinary bladder, which is suspected to be cancerous.
“I will just let the Sto. Niño decide what’s going to happen to me. If he thinks that I’m still needed, then he will let me stick around. But if I’m not needed anymore, then that’s his decision,” he told reporters.
He said he knows that not everyone will miss him.
Margot, for her part, thanked the Cebuanos for their prayers and said the rest is up to the Sto. Niño.
“He’s okay, he will be okay. I really admire my husband even more now because he just says ‘Okay, I’m sick, so? I’m sick but I have other things to do’,” she added. (LCR)
