DID the mayor say “demolished?” Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, hours after arriving in Cebu from his trip abroad, reportedly said that the “first order of business” will be to have the fire-gutted Metro Ayala building at the Ayala Center Cebu demolished. That drew some broadcast comments such as, “Not for him to decide,” “He’s not an engineer,” “He doesn’t have the facts yet.”
What Tomas said on Facebook was: “The building has suffered irreparable damage and most likely will be demolished.” That’s in the third paragraph of his post. In the first paragraph was, “Arrived late last night. First order of business.” The next paragraph was about the Metro Ayala fire having been “reduced to smolders” but the mall “will remain closed until the fire is out.”
It does sound like he’s the one deciding about the closure of the mall and the demolition of the building. But, says a City Hall watcher, “That’s just Tomas talking as if he owned the mall. But then this is his city.”
There are procedures before any reopening or demolition is done. All the mayor can do is to enforce laws and ordinances under the provided protocol.
Firefighters bashed
Unable to contain his anger over the bashing firefighters got on social media, one netizen, who said he is a member of the Bureau of Fire Protection, wrote that BFP members know what they were doing.
He must have been pissed off by the comments of know-it-alls who wrote behind fictitious names to criticize the firefighters and spread false information.
The facts, please
A lot of disinformation came out and the reliable sources, such as the Cebu City PIO and publicists of the fire department and the fire-struck store, were not quick enough to shoot down the false news.
A Metro spokesman reportedly said it owns the building on the lot leased from the Ayala Mall but the contract won’t expire until at least 10 years. Anyone who disagrees with that claim must present evidence to the contrary, not just suspicion or speculation.
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