CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will be on leave for 10 days starting tomorrow for his quarterly check-up in Texas and to visit some friends in San Francisco.
Osmeña said that much as he hates to disappoint his opponent businessman Jonathan Guardo and newspaper columnist Bobby Nalzaro, his visit to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas is just for his routine checkup.
He reiterated yesterday that he is well and has fully recovered from his stage IV urinary bladder cancer.
“Mr. Guardo and Nalzaro keep praying that my cancer will come back, and they’re even going as far as saying that wherever I go, I have two doctors with me... On Feb. 2 I will be back unya manghilak na sad na sila kay nibalik ko, muingon ‘sus, buhi pa gyud siya’,” Osmeña said.
He learned that some have been campaigning against him and said the people should not vote for him for south district congressman because “he won’t survive one term.”
In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña said that if he is indeed sick as alleged by his critics, he would not have joined the seven-kilometer foot procession of the image of Sto. Niño last Saturday.
“When it started, I had to run to catch up with the Cebu City Hall contingent. I ran double time for the first two kilometers until I caught up with them... my point is, if I am sick, how come I did not have doctors with me walking seven kilometers? If I am sick, will I be here? I’d be stupid to be here,” he said.
The mayor will have his CT Scan and other laboratory tests on his first day at the M.D. Anderson Center, and will meet with his doctors on the third day to discuss the test results.
Before coming home, he will visit some friends in San Francisco and will stay there for three days.
Osmeña said that after his surgery last year, his doctors prescribed a quarterly check-up for two years, and twice a year after the second year. His urinary bladder, prostate and some 40 lymph nodes were removed as part of his treatment.
After learning of the mayor’s statement, Nalzaro took exception to his comments and said that he has always wished Osmeña well where his health is concerned.
Nalzaro, a Sun.Star Cebu columnist and radio dySS anchor, said all his commentaries are issue-based and that he has nothing personal against the mayor. He said that he even supported the mayor’s causes, including the issue on vigilantes and clearing the sidewalks.
“Ngano gud tawon nga giapil ko niya sa politika? Kanang akong komentaryo niya is nothing personal. It’s all issues. I’m not a religious person but I included him in my prayers. He can scan my previous columns especially during the time he was diagnosed with cancer and had an operation. I prayed for him,” he said. (LCR)