“TOM O. ASK CEBUANOS NOT TO VOTE FOR OBSTRUCTIONIST”

By Tonton Alcos Antogop

 

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena spoke briefly in the kick-off rally/opening salvo of the Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) but its substance was long enough to their supporters; do not vote for the obstructionists.

In a speech that was less than five minutes, he urged them not to vote anybody from the political opposition, the Barug PDP-Laban. He accused them of obstructing his good programs; citing the Long Life Medical Assistance Program (LLMAP), Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), the implementation of ordinance 93-1 and the Isla dela Victoria project, all of which he said, the opposition party disagreed.

LLMAP was a program to provide free medicines for residents with hypertension, diabetes and arthritis, the BRT project got stalled despite a released budget of P15 billion while Ordinance 93-1 was a land swap deal between the city and provincial government to provide lots to city residents. The Isla dela Victoria project was objected by the Barug-PDP members in the city council.

“Ang atong mga kaatbang sa pamolitika kutob ra sila mubabag. Ilang gibabag ang long-life, Ilang gibabag ang 93-1 dawat limpyo mao na ang syagit ni Rama, ilang gibabag ang atung BRT nakuha ko kinse bilyones para sa musulbar atung traffic, ilang gibabag ang Isla dela Victoria, puros babag,” Osmena said.

He urged them instead to vote for the entire BO-PK slate promising to deliver more for the city’s residents. BO-PK has “Tomorrow will be better than today” as their campaign slogan.

“Ayaw tagai ko ug mga konsehales nga mubabag mahurot na atung oras, ma back load ang atung kaugmaon,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd at the Cebu City Sports Complex Saturday night, adding, “Ug mahimo lang tagai lang ko ug tibuok pamilya sa BOPK atung ipakita kaninyo mubalik dayun, atung susihon ang kaugmaon sa atung syudad.”

FREE TUITION FOR SCHOLARS

Early on, his only son Miguel who introduced him through mentioning some of his fathers programs revealed that if his father will be re-elected, the city’s scholarship program will already be comprehensive.

He said the whole tuition of the scholars will be shouldered by the local government apart from giving budget for the books and uniforms, even including giving stipend for fare.

Currently, the city is just giving P10, 000 per semester to its scholars. The young Osmena said, it is the dream of his father to make Cebu City as the most educated city in the whole country.

“Kung kaya lang gyud sa atong budget, ang city scholars program himuon nato ug lib-re, libre. Dili lamang tuition, apilon nato ang libro, ang uniporme, ang school supplies, bisan ang plete padung sa eskwelahan bayaran na tanan sa syudad. Kay ang akong Papa naa siyay usa ka dako kaayong damgo, that one day Cebu City will become the most educated city in the entire Philippines.”

The budget according to the Mayor’s son will be taken from the Isla dela Victoria real estate project which the city had in a Joint Venture Agreement with the Universal Hotel and Resorts Inc. (UHRI) of the JG Summit Holdings of the family of business tycoon John Gokongwei.

The city government will have a share of 10 percent for 50 years from the profit of the 18 billion hotel-casino resort project which sits on the former Kawit Island of the city’s South Reclamation Properties (SRP).

CITY HOSPITAL OPENING

Meanwhile, Vice Mayoralty bet Mary Ann delos Santos said for her part that the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) will be operational soon. Delos Santos said that it will have a state of the art apparatus, describing it as the best in the country.

“Ang CCMC lima ka buwan gikan karun pwede nang magamit ang first, second ug third storey sa atung bag-ong hospital. Mao nay primerong hospital dinhi sa syudad sa Sugbu state of the art nga hospital dili lang sa syudad sa Sugbu apan sa kinatibuk-an nga Pilipinas.”

Delos Santos would be the the first-ever woman Vice Mayor of the city if she wins against former Mayor Michael Rama. Mayor Osmena is running againt Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, the annointed bet ot Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.

LDP PROCLAIMED SLATE

The entire BO-PK slate which included incumbent Cebu City north Cong. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, 1st district) and south Cong. Rodrigo Abellanosa (Cebu City, 2nd district) were proclaimed by Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, the President of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP).

Aside from Angara, the BO-PK will also support Sen. Cynthia Villar, Sen. Grace Poe, former Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go and the Mayor’s brother, ex-Senator Serge Osmena.

Go did not make it to the event but he sent comediene Ai-ai delas Alas as his proxy apart from his audio-visual campaign video which was played on the wide screen.

Osmena’s sister, known socialite and jetsetter Minnie Osmena, was also around, along with his wife Margot, an incumbent city councilor and Miguel’s wife, Bea.

Their line-ups for councilors in the north district are incumbents Atty. Sisinio Andales, Alvin Arcilla and Joy Augustus Young along with the comebacking former councilors Alvin Dizon, Lea Japson and Nestor Archival. The newcomer is Dr. Marlo Maamo.

The south district have two incumbents, Dave Tumulak and Eugenio Gabuya. They are joined by Guadalupe Barangay Captain Michael Gacasan, Inayawan Barangay Captain Atty. Kirk Bryan Repollo, former board member and city councilor Raul Alcoseba, former Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation Pres. Rengelle Pelayo and city department heads Atty. Marie Velle Abella and Roberto Cabarrubias, who was a former city councilor himself.

 

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