Osmeña fails to raise holiday issue during Arroyo visit in Cebu

Mayor Tomas Osmeña did not see it appropriate to raise to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo his stand to declare as holiday the ASEAN Summit during her visit to Cebu the other day.

"I didn't think the timing was appropriate," Osmeña told reporters yesterday, but added he would be willing to abide with whatever decision the national organizing committee and Arroyo herself would take.

The national organizing committee of the ASEAN Summit does not see it a priority to declare the meet a holiday, as there are more pressing matters to attend to at this point in time.

Osmeña said he was able to channel his concern to some officials but he is not necessarily expecting a positive feedback soon.

"Right now, I'm alarmed of the city that I love," Osmeña said, insisting earlier that Arroyo should formally declare a holiday so that the residents in the city would be convinced to make out-of-town plans.

The mayor believes maximum security can be exercised for the dignitaries during the summit if there are less people in the streets. This can be achieved, he said, if there is a concrete declaration of a holiday so that the people can start making plans.

Osmeña reiterated the city's lack of capability to detect a terrorist plot, thus, having less people in the city during the ASEAN Summit can make the situation more manageable. The mayor is convinced that terrorists would muddle the gathering of 17 heads of state.

"There is a high probability that kidnappers would be in police uniforms during the ASEAN Summit," he said, referring to the arrest of four suspected members of a kidnap-for-ransom group two Sundays ago.

"The certainty that there is a holiday is important....it will be 25 to 30 percent improvement on security," Osmeña said.

During the celebration of the city's Charter Day anniversary last month, Arroyo publicly announced Cebu as host of the summit, subsequently making Osmeña decide to declare a holiday and convince the public to prepare holiday plans and leave the city.

He even lashed at some businessmen for allegedly being "selfish" and at Mandaue Mayor Thadeo Ouano for calling him "overacting" in declaring the holiday.

The business sector believes that the declaration of the holiday is impractical during days when shops, hotels, restaurants, malls, and factories will be operating in full swing to cater to the needs of the event. - Joeberth M. Ocao