President can govern
from Cebu, says mayor
By Cebu Daily News
IF President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo finds herself in trouble in Manila, she can govern the country from Cebu, according to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
"I'll tell her to stay here na lang. Bahala na sila sa (They can do what they want in) Manila," Osmeña said.
"Let me remind you that the people behind this (crisis in Manila) do not love us. But I don't care what happens in Manila. Let them riot there," the mayor added. "If they don't care about us then I don't care about them."
He said he would ask the President to stay in Cebu and hold her office here, adding that Arroyo should never step down.
"She should not have apologized because her confession is not the end of it," Osmeña said.
"She was just falling into a trap. What's wrong with talking to a Comelec official? I talk to them in and out of precincts even during canvassing. That is just part of being polite to each other," he added.
The trap that the president fell into, Osmeña said, is that now she has to do penance for having made that phone conversation "while no one is even running after the persons responsible for the wire-tapping."
"No one cares about the people wire-tapping the President and no one is running after them. Because of this, they could just wiretap anyone including me. Well, these people should be shot," he said.
"She should have never responded at all because all people behind Ping Lacson were given the initiative in trying to make use of it (wiretapping device)," he said.
Osmeña described the Manila situation, with the hearings on the Gloriagate tapes and jueteng, as "nothing but a big media event."
Former activist and broadcaster Inday Nita Cortez Daluz has joined the clamor for the resignation of Arroyo and the holding of a snap election
Daluz yesterday said she regretted supporting President Arroyo in the 2004 presidential election.
She said Arroyo has no moral authority and credibility to lead the country after admitting it was she in a wiretapped conversation with a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official.
"It is a high crime, a betrayal of public trust," Daluz said.
"After sa iyang admission, at first, I was hesitant. But di man na mahimo nga kon GMA ta dire, okay lang even if nakasa na siya (It's not right that even if we voted for GMA, it's just okay if she commits a mistake). I am for her resignation and a snap election. I don't see her having the moral authority to govern," she said.
Daluz, who fought the Marcos dictatorship, said a fact-finding body composed of credible personalities should be formed to probe the contents of the wiretapped conversation.
"Everything was half truths. The President did not mention (Comelec Commissioner) Garcilliano and the contents of their conversations," she said.
Another woman who had nearly crossed over to the opposition last week said Arroyo should continue leading the country.
"I still want to give President Arroyo a chance," said Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez after hearing Arroyo's apology and the tirade yesterday of Susan Roces, the widow of presidential bet Fernando Poe Jr.
Although she did not see Roces' press conference on television, Clavel said the feedback she got was that the actress' statements were very "strong and passionate."
Now that some members of the majority have started bolting the administration party, Martinez admitted that she was thinking of doing the same thing.
"I want to take my time and think about it more," she told Cebu Daily News last night.
Martinez said she had a talk with Arroyo, and told her how she felt after listening to the wiretapped conversations of Comelec commissioner Garcillano with many people, including the President herself.
Martinez said she told Arroyo that she felt bad about the administration's intervention in the gubernatorial election in Cebu when the President had promised to keep her hands off local politics.
"Despite my being close to the President, I never asked her any favor and I told her that. For me, what is just and fair is what should be given," Martinez said.
During their conversation, the President did not say anything, she said.
Just before Roces came out with the scathing attacks against the President yesterday morning, four Cebuano congressmen had met separately with the President.
Congressmen Antonio Yapha, Ramon "Red" Durano VI, Nerissa Soon-Ruiz and Antonio Cuenco visited the President at Malacañang to reassure her of their support.
Tommy Osmeña~ All About Him.
thnks...
Originally Posted by Anonymous_23
Cebuanos, if ur given a chance 2 ask questions to the honorable Cebu City Mayor Mr. Tommy Osmena? What questions wud dat be? or let me hear you comment bout his governance...... pm ..pm.
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