Friday, August 13, 2004 For lack of plane fare, mayor junks Sokor trip By Gingging A. Campaņa
CEBU CITY -- Councilor Arsenio Pacaņa had to turn back from the airport last Wednesday when Mayor Tomas Osmeņa called him up on his mobile phone to tell him there were no available funds for his trip abroad.
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation President Glena Bontuyan, Pacaņa, Osmeņa, his son Miguel and businessman Michel Lhuillier were supposed to leave last Wednesday for Seoul, South Korea to attend the 5th Yeosu International Youth Festival Friday until Aug. 15.
But Yeosu City Government officials changed their minds at the last minute about paying for the round-trip airfare of the Cebu City officials and Miguel Osmeņa from Cebu to Manila and Manila to Seoul.
They only committed to the Cebuano delegates' travel expenses from Seoul to Yeosu City.
News on Pacaņa's canceled trip broke when some City Hall employees saw an employee from the Protocol Office weeping.
The employee, who was tasked to prepare the travel papers, was scolded by Osmeņa because she failed to inform the mayor earlier about the depleted funds for the international trips.
Osmeņa reportedly told her on his mobile phone, "You're fired."
"But he took back his words when the lady went to his office to explain that the Korean officials and the Korean Embassy informed City Hall of some problems at the last minute. There was no more time to augment the funds," a City Hall official, who asked not to be named, said.
Pacaņa, in a separate interview, said that it was a good thing the Korean Government sponsored the airfare of the Cebu City Dance Sport Team led by Rica Alix, who left the country ahead of the City officials.
Also, the Korean Embassy called up to inform City Hall that flights from Seoul to the Philippines are fully booked for the next two weeks, so there was no definite date yet when the Cebu City delegates can return to the country.
This discouraged Osmeņa, who wanted to return to the city immediately after the festival to attend to more important matters in City Hall. He informed the Protocol Office to cancel his, Miguel's and Lhuillier's trip.
It was later agreed that Pacaņa, chairman of the council committee on tourism, will represent the mayor in the official trip.
Bontuyan could not make it as she is in Palawan to lead SK delegates on a study tour. But Osmeņa later learned that the City's funds for international travels have been depleted.
The City Government needed about P93,000 for the mayor, Pacaņa and Miguel's airfare, as Lhuillier would pay his own way.
"But there was too little time left to augment the funds because we still have to process the vouchers," Pacaņa said.
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