Jonas says Mike not keen on talks

CEBU, Philippines - The request of Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes to meet Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to settle several issues affecting the two cities seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

Cortes said that two months ago, City Administrator James Abadia wrote Rama to ask for a meeting, but there was no reply.

Two weeks ago when the Mandaue Mayor returned from a trip to Germany, he asked his staff to contact Rama’s office to schedule a meeting, but this has not been granted yet.

Cortes said that if Rama wants to solve the issues, which now include the plight of residents of Mahiga Creek, the Cebu City Mayor must not allow the issues affecting his area affect the problems with the component city.

Cortes gave Rama a piece of unsolicited advice to humble himself and not always be fighting with those who are against his plans and programs.

“My unsolicited advice to Rama, pagpa-ubos ayaw mig apila sa inyong away, kay ang iyang naagian naagian sad na nako,” Cortes said referring to his problem with the opposition-dominated city council during his first term in office.

Rama is also facing the same problem now with his own council.

The Mandaue Mayor said that his government is doing what it can to help solve the problem of the settlers at the banks of the Mahiga Creek and Rama should not go beyond his area.

The Cebu City mayor wants a group of residents on the Mandaue side of the creek to vacate the area as part of efforts to open up the waterways and help prevent floods.

The Mandaue residents complained that Rama cannot do this to them as aside from the fact that they are in Mandaue, there has also been no offer of relocation, which is required by law.

Cortes appealed to Rama not to complicate the issue.

He said that Mandaue is doing its best to prioritize these folk from the creek in their resettlement project in Barangay Pakna-an.

“I think he knows nga lain-lain mi ug katungdanan busa akong hangyo ni Mike nga unta makapaabot siya kay dili na makatawhanon nga kalit lang nimong gubton ilang pamuyo nga way kabalhinan.”

“He is just complicating things. Imong gitiwasan ang kalisud sa mga tawo dihang lugara, naa bitaw na sila diha kay kapit sa patalim nang ila,” the mayor said.

Cortes said that the reason why there was a delay in the transfer of the relocation of these urban poor settlers is because they have to follow what has been stipulated under the Urban Development Housing Act.

“Nalangay ta kay nisunod ta’s proseso. Kinsa man gud gusto nga madugay ilang pagbalhin,” Cortes added.

Cortes also said that he is still waiting for Rama to give his nod on the meeting to discuss the problems of the jeepney drivers.

He said that despite all the efforts that have been exerted by Mandaue officials, Rama has not bothered to reply.

Cortes, however, appreciates the move of the Cebu City Council to look into the possibility of amending the ordinance that bans the entry of jeepneys from outside Cebu City to ply the main thoroughfares.

Residents of Mandaue are badly affected by this ordinance as they need to pay more to reach their destination within Cebu City since the jeepneys from their area are not allowed at the heart of the city.

Cortes said that the move of Mandaue City disallowing the garbage trucks from Cebu City to use their streets is not in any way a means of retaliation.

The city just wants to regulate the use of their streets for the transport of garbage for the safety of their constituents. — /NLQ (FREEMAN)