Duterte teases Dino, Tom on ‘friendship’

President Rodrigo Duterte later officiates the oath taking of Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry officials. He is flanked by Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino and CCCI President Melanie Ng.

The guests who attended yesterday’s groundbreaking of the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) had to wait for an hour and 50 minutes for the arrival of President Rodrigo Duterte in Dapitan-Pilipog, Cordova town.

When it was time to deliver his speech, President Duterte took time to mention President Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino for helping his campaign during last year’s elections when no one else received him in Cebu.

“Si Lloyd Dino ang mitabang sa akoa sa panahon nga wala pay nidawat nako ngari. Siyay nangunay. May gani nitabang (Lloyd Dino helped me at a time when no one else received me here. He took the lead and thankfully he helped),” Duterte said.

The President then made light of Dino’s feud with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, asking if they had become friends.

“Unya amigo ba mo ni Mayor Osmeña? Magtagbo mo diha sa bridge unya walay mobigay (Are you friends with Mayor Osmeña? You will meet in the bridge and no one will give way),” the President teased, drawing laughter from the audience.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña share a laugh at the groundbreaking site

Dino called Osmeña a “bully, anti-business and anti-poor” after the mayor held the business permits of SM Seaside City Cebu and the Magallanes branch of Banco de Oro (BDO) owned by the SM group.

The mayor had accused the bank of not paying its taxes adequately.

Osmeña also questioned the deal entered into between the city and the SM-Ayala consortium for the purchase of several lots at Cebu City’s South Road Properties (SRP) during the term of former mayor Michael Rama.

When sought for reaction on the President’s remarks after the program, Osmeña said, “No comment.” Osmeña said the President knows about his rift with Dino.

When asked if he is open for dialogue with Dino, the mayor replied: “No. Does it matter to me? It does not matter. He is not the President.”
Cebu Daily News was unable to get Dino’s side.

The mayor attended the groundbreaking with Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III.

Other local officials in attendance were Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho, Rep. Jonas Cortes of Cebu’s 6th district, Cebu Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella and Cebu City councilors./Correspondent Michelle Joy L. Padayhag