NEVER again.” That’s what it says on the banner that is hanging on the façade of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
So. “Never again” what?
Come on people responsible for it. Give us context. At least a little bit of back story. I think I know but only because I work in the newspaper and I used to be connected with the previous administration. But what about the others? Do they know?
And who came up with the idea anyway? Was it hatched during one of the many “look-into-it” sessions that the current administration is so fond of having? And please, don’t insult my intelligence with the denial.
It’s a HUGE banner, people, stretching across half of the building. And I’m pretty sure it didn’t get there on its own.
By denying any knowledge of who placed the banner there, the Capitol may have inadvertently shot itself in the foot. It’s like admitting it doesn’t know what’s going on under its nose. That it’s incompetent. I mean, how else am I supposed to interpret the denial?
And if it’s clueless about something that big, how many smaller “things” has the Capitol missed? Just wondering.
Anyway, if Capitol wants to besmirch the reputation of the previous administration, the CICC is hardly the right choice.
Quite the contrary. The CICC is a testament to former Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s resolve and determination. Things got done during her time. Heck, the CICC was built in record time to welcome dignitaries and heads of states that attended the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nationals Summit. Nobody complained back then.
Aside from the summit, the CICC also hosted several trade fairs and the One Visayas expo in 2009. But look at it now. Languishing in its former glory. A victim of petty politicking.
To quote a friend’s Facebook status on the meaning behind “never again” (yes, I’m now quoting FB statuses and yes I have her permission): “Or it could mean Never Again elect officials who let public property go to waste either because of indecision or pure hatred. Never again elect the people who use the same structure to hoard relief goods until they rot and then get stolen while the intended recipients, typhoon-ravaged and all, are left to fend for themselves. Yes indeed, Never Again!”
Actually, what drew me to the issue was the slogan, which is the same one used by the Jewish Defense League. It refers to what happened to the Jews in the hands of the Nazis in Europe during World War 2. Yup, I’m talking about the Holocaust, where more than six million Jews and other people who didn’t fit the mold of the perfect Aryan were systematically murdered.
The slogan symbolizes the Jewish people’s collective resolve “to never allow innocents to be brutalized for the crime of being Jewish.”
I’m sure that’s not what the creator of the banner wants motorists to think as they whizz pass the facility.