Saturday, October 25, 2008 Editorials: Give the mayor a break
ONE can’t help but be amazed that in this, the most trying time of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s life, and even while he is abroad, he still manages to stir the same kind of controversies and passions when he was healthy and in the city.
That can partly be attributed to current advances in technology, specifically the use of cell phones and text messaging, and most probably the internet, too.
But the main reason there is Osmeña’s nature itself---he obviously can’t rein in his combative self in whatever situation he is in and whatever hurdle is in front of him.
And so by simply letting his fingers do the talking (translation: texting), he was able to heat up again City Hall’s conflict with Capitol by ordering the city’s lawyers to dip their legal fingers on a problem mainly involving another government entity.
Case details
Actually, the cause of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) 7 is but incidental to the recent development; Osmeña could have found another issue to pick against the Province and there would not have been much of a difference.
It is even possible the mayor did not know the details of the tug-of-war between Capitol and Tesda over a donated lot when he sent those text messages to his people here.
He must not have known that Capitol’s attempt to re-possess the lot occupied by Tesda 7 along Archbishop Reyes Ave. started several years ago and that the filing by Capitol of an eviction case against Tesda was but a culmination of that simmering row.
Which means that City Hall entering into the picture at this point is rather too late and may no longer matter much legally even if it orders its most brilliant lawyers to wiggle into the court case, if that is possible.
Favor seekers
In this sense, it behooves upon whoever will seek Osmeña’s help at this stage to explain to him well the issues involved because, with the mayor’s state of health, his location and his nature, chances are he will be firing off knee-jerk orders.
More so if the issue involves the Capitol, which is a surefire way to pique him.
Since the mayor cannot rein in his combative self, help and favor seekers should be the one to adjust to the changed circumstance and allow the mayor to concentrate on his treatment and get the needed rest from political intrigues.
