Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña
Investors are welcome in Cebu City, but Cebu City Mayor Tommy Osmeña reminds them that he has to be firm and fair and will not hesitate to implement the law.
“I don’t run after investors. I run after people who commit crime by trying to swindle the city,” Osmeña told reporters in a press conference in his office Monday morning.
Osmeña recently held the business permits of SM Seaside City Cebu and Banco de Oro (BDO) Magallanes branch, both under SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SMPHI), because of pending tax evasion cases that he filed against them.
Osmeña said that what he did is not running after or “bullying” SM or any investor for that matter. In fact, he said he was the one who brought SM to Cebu City 25 years ago just like how he brought in the Ayala group.
“Just remember one thing, crime does not pay. No matter who you are and no matter how painful it is, I have to implement the law,” the Mayor added.
Osmeña said that he is protecting businessman who are paying their taxes and are not swindling the city.
“So if they don’t like to pay their taxes then goodbye,” he added.
Earlier, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino described the Mayor as bully, anti-business and anti-poor.
Dino added that Cebu, in the past, was also called ‘Ceboom’ during the time of former governor Lito Osmeña. Now, however, Dino said Cebu is being referred to as ‘Sibat’ after some investors are leaving and are refocusing to other cities like IloIlo, Bacolod and Davao instead of Cebu.