PARTY-LIST Rep. Pastor Alcover Jr. of the Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (Anad) yesterday declared a “political war” against Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña for allegedly supporting communists.
Alcover said he will focus on campaigning today against Osmeña, who is running for congressman in Cebu City’s south district.
In a meeting with more than 1,000 former anti-Communist fighters in Barangay Guba, Cebu City yesterday, Alcover showed the participants a picture of Osmeña giving an award to Bayan Muna represented by Rep. Satur Ocampo.
Alcover accused Bayan Muna of being a front organization of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
He was referring to the Mayor’s Special Award to Ocampo during the Charter Day celebration last month or three years after Bayan Muna cooperated with the City in ensuring peace and order during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in January 2007.
“Osmeña gave an award to Bayan Muna and Satur (Ocampo) for their peaceful rally against the government, forgetting the people who risked their lives to wipe out the Communist insurgents in Cebu City. That arrogant mayor should not remain in power. We shall fight him,” Alcover said.
The congressman’s son, Lemar, a barangay councilor of Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City is running for Cebu City councilor under the Kusug Party of mayoralty candidate Alvin Garcia and Osmeña’s rival Jonathan Guardo.
Osmeña said yesterday that he’s ready for Alcover’s “political war,” saying he cannot do anything if that is the way the party-list representative thinks.
“That’s his style, so what can I do? Bayan Muna did not disrupt the Asean summit by holding a rally, so we gave them a certificate of recognition. Is that wrong? I asked them not to give us a headache during the summit and they followed it, that’s very rare... Because of that he will campaign against me? Okay, wala ko’y mahimo,” said Osmeña.
“All-out war, mao na iyang utok. Unya ako, estorya-estorya ra, tan-awa, wala’y samok. Unya siya mangita ug all-out war, wala ko mahadlok ana oy. Alcover can campaign against my candidacy pero ako mutubag lang sa mga issue diha sa mga tawo. Ang mga tawo maoy magbuot dili kay si Alcover (I’m not afraid of his threat. I will only answer the issues against me),” the mayor continued.
Alcover accused Bayan Muna of attempting to overthrow the government. He added that more than 1,000 anti-com fighters worked with him to counter the underground activities of the CPP-NPA in Cebu.
“Tomas Osmeña was nowhere to be found in Cebu City when the CPP-NPA terrorized Cebu City because he lived a juicy life in the United States. And now, he is giving awards to the traitors of the people?” Alcover said.
In the same forum, Alcover warned Osmeña and his political protégées against engaging in basketball terrorism, water terrorism, streetlight terrorism and all forms of terrorism so he could paralyze his political opponents.
“The people of Cebu City are already fed up with Osmeña’s vindictive style of governance. He is a homegrown tyrant. He is a dictator in a democratic society. He will surely lose in this election,” Alcover said.
Bayan Muna secretary-general for the Visayas Arman Perez, for his part, said Alcover does not have authority to declare a political war against Osmeña. Perez said that democracy and respect for one’s political belief exist in Cebu City.
“I dare him (Alcover) to tell the Cebuanos what are their contributions for the progress and development of Cebu City and Cebu Province, respectively. Enough talking. Show your contributions for the betterment of Cebuanos,” Perez said. (EOB/ETB)