Tingog.com

As you may know, if you have been following, my writing, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has been the target of my anger as of late. Being a Cebu City native myself, to see it being controlled by a partisan, politically-motivated, and arrogant Mayor in Tomas, is almost too much for me to handle.

You can read my previous posts regarding this situation: Tomas Osmeña on A Rampage in Cebu, Another Call To Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, and More Arrogance From Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

What has set off this anger is his politically motivated move to junk the construction of a 20 classroom school building, fuel subsidies, as well as other projects for Barangay Lahug. All because his main rival during the May 14th election was Mary Ann de Los Santos, the barangay captain for Lahug. And that during the campaign, she alleged that the Mayor never provided any projects and any help for the barangay during his term in office. Whether or not this is true, is beside the point, the fact that he chooses to continue to lash out against his political rival, irrespective of his duty to serve the public, that is the main point of discussion here.

In a recently held Council meeting, Cebu City Council refused to get into the matter and did not even talk about the Mayor’s move to cut off the construction of the school building, as well as other Lahug projects. The Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) party controlled Council refused to get into the matter, most probably because of political affiliation. This is the price of having one party control an entire city, it’s dictatorship by majority rule. But if the council thinks they have saved themselves from any public scrutiny, they better think again, because when a crime is being committed, those who stand idly by and do nothing are as guilty as if they had helped in the crime in the first place.

The Mayor, with a new three year term, with a politically affiliated City Council, has all the political leverage he needs to feed his arrogance even more.

Some good news, however, came in the form of a P5 million donation from Governor Gwen Garcia. Barangay Captain de los Santos also started a fund raising program, “Piso Mo, Eskwelahan Ko”, in order to raise the funds needed for the school building.

But in true, Tomas fashion, he has tried to threaten with red tape and informed de los Santos that she still needs all the necessary permits, etc.

And with donations coming in, the possibility of the school building being built, the Mayor has threatened that it will be illegal for the barangay to build the school building because it is a project of the school board and covered by contract. Instead he proposes that the funds be given to the City, and that the City will help with the construction.

Sounds like Mr. Mayor is scared that the building will actually be built.

The irony of it all is that the mayor wanted to prove that he has actually provided projects for the barangay, by actually junking the construction and taking projects away. The mayor’s logic has succumbed to his infantile rage. And in this rage, a twist of fate occurred when the Barangay actually has garnered support, and raised funds.

The next three years will be interesting indeed, to see just how many more times this Mayor thinks he can get away with all of this and to see if City Council can stand up for itself and stop kissing ass.