Osmeña resumes assault on Capitol

After two days of “cease-fire” with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday resumed his assault, criticizing the plan of the province to build a multi-billion trans-axial highway.

Osmeña said while he is supporting the construction of the highway, he does not believe that the Capitol can carry the project through because “it’s not easy,”

He said to do the detailed engineering alone, the province will spend P500 million and that the province has to deal with the issue on how to protect the watershed.

“That project of the provincial government to build trans-axial highway, I don’t think they will get it through because they don’t know how. And even if they know, it’s not that easy,” the mayor said.

The provincial government is planning to build the trans-axial highway that will traverse Cebu’s mountains. The highway runs from Daanbantayan in the north to Santander in the south.

But an environmentalist group warned that the mountains of the province are not stable and are prone to landslide.

The project also needs to cross the watersheds in the Central Cebu Protected Landscaping, endangering Cebu’s water supply.

It is planned to have at least four economic zones and to be bid out internationally on a build-transfer-operate scheme.

But citing the South Road Properties as example, Osmeña said the province will have a hard time in realizing the project, especially that there is a big environmental concern that has to be addressed.

Osmeña said many had opposed the establishment of the SRP, including Cebuano legislators such as former senators John Osmeña, Ernesto Herrera and Marcelo Fernan.

But he said the effort for the project is like a baseball game that the players need to pass through each base to get a home run.

Despite his experience in implementing big projects, Osmeña refused to give an advice to the province.

“They give 93-1, I’ll give them free advice,” he said referring to the Provincial Ordinance 93-1, which is now the subject of “word war” between him and Garcia.

During the Sinulog, Osmeña and Garcia ceased trading barbs and were even seen cordial to each other in front of many people. — Wenna A. Berondo/LPM