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Saturday, June 16, 2007
Vidal to Cebu guv, mayor: Shut up
By Linette C. Ramos
CEBU CITY -- With hopes to reconcile Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal is calling for a one-month ceasefire between the two before he mediates to help resolve their conflicts.
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Representative Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south) said Friday that Cardinal Vidal will also propose to Garcia and Osmeña the creation of a negotiation or amity committee, with one representative each from City Hall and the Capitol.
The committee will be tasked to begin talks on reconciliation and will include a justice from the Supreme Court as suggested by the cardinal, Cuenco said.
"He wants to reconcile whatever differences there are between the Province and the City Government. He wants to meet with Mayor Osmeña and Governor Gwen on a one-on-one basis and work out a possible agreement to resolve the conflict," Cuenco told reporters after his meeting with Cardinal Vidal.
The 30-minute meeting took place at the Archbishop's Palace Friday morning.
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Cuenco said that the prelate prefers to visit the governor and the mayor, rather than have them come to his residence. The cardinal, however, has not set a date for his meetings with the officials.
"The cardinal has proposed a one-month ceasefire, a cooling-off period and after that, possible mediation efforts will come in... Nanghinaot si Cardinal Vidal na unta, dili na lang muatake ba, hunongon na ang mga atake (Cardinal Vidal is hoping that they will no longer attack each other, stop the attacks) against both parties so they can begin talking. We'll try to resolve this," he continued.
Cuenco first announced his plan to request Cardinal Vidal to mediate last Monday, fearing that the worsening rift between the mayor and governor will turn off investors, and eventually affect the local economy.
Among the issues the cardinal wants to discuss are the Fuente Osmeña circle ownership, Provincial Ordinance 93-1 lots and Capitol's development project in Cebu City, Ciudad.
Cuenco went to City Hall Friday to report to the mayor the outcome of his meeting with the prelate.
Although he is not too optimistic about the proposed mediation, Osmeña said he is open to any possibility and willing to listen to the archbishop.
In his news conference Friday, he reiterated that the City already reached a deal with the Province on the 93-1 issue, but Capitol officials backed out of the agreement.
"I'm just asking the question: What's there to discuss? But I will listen to whatever they have to say. I'm just voicing out my sentiments that it's not to our advantage that after you make a deal, they're entitled to change it," said Osmeña.
He further said that he is likely to send City Administrator Francisco Fernandez as the City's representative in the amity committee that will be created. (Sun.Star Cebu)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (June 16, 2007 issue)
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