The plan of the Cebu city government to beautify the Doña Pepang Osmeña cemetery is long overdue.
Former mayor Tommy Osmeña objected to the idea without knowing the facts of the project. He asked how would one feel if one disturbs the other dead buried there, especially their parents, uncles, aunties and siblings. Mayor Rama clarified that the Osmeña Mausoleum would not be touched because it is an institution. The gesture is also out of respect for the late president Sergio Osmeña, the Grand Old Man of Cebu, and Serging Osmeña, the first elected mayor of Cebu city, who are both buried in the cemetery.
Rama said the area will be beautified. The people living inside the cemetery deserve to have a place of their own.
The plan is to convert the cemetery into a public park and allow the property to be used as an access to interior areas in case of emergencies.
Apparently Tomas Osmeña has nothing much to do but oppose whatever Rama intends to do. Tomas is doing his best through the City Council to stop Rama from pursuing projects. I think Osmeña is missing public attention.
He didn’t even attend the unveiling of the life-size statues of his father, the late Serging Osmeña and the father of the Cebu City Charter Vicente Rama. Instead of being present for the honor, Tomas chose to ignore the invitation and instead attacked the mayor, saying the event was a cheap gimmick to hide the wrongs committed by Rama.
I think Mayor Rama was right when he asked why the bust of “Nyor Inting” is located in the fire station when Vicente Rama was not a fireman and why the statue of Serging Osmeña was located in the SM City parking lot when Serging was not a part owner of SM.
The statues of both great men needed a proper home in front of City Hall where they once served as a public officials of the city. Tomas was mayor for two nine-year terms but he never lifted a finger to establish a statue for Serging outside City Hall. And he has the temerity to ask who is Vicente Rama?
I am not sure he knows his Cebu history well. But Osmeña’s attitude just goes to show that he believes Cebu is only for the Osmeñas. Sorry to disappoint him that the people no longer believe that. Cebu City is for the people of the city. Nobody owns the city except the people. The sooner Tomas accepts the fact that he is no longer the mayor of the city, it would be better for him.
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The Blue Ribbon Committee investigating Vice President Jejomar Binay has become very personal especially the comments of Senators Peter Cayetano and Trillanes. The way they frame their questions directed at resource persons especially those identified with Binay shows they are sometimes malicious.
No wonder Binay refused to attend the committee investigation. He knew he would not get a fair shake so the vice president decided to answer all the issues before the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines as a venue that is biased against him.
The Blue Ribbon Committee should stop its investigation. If it has evidence to send Binay to jail, let them file a case with the Office of the Ombudsman.
At first many were happy the investigation got underway but later, it was clear the intention of the committee inquiry was just to stop Binay’s track for the 2016 election.