Tom ‘finalizing’ suit

CEBU, Philippines — Former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday lashed back at Governor Gwendolyn Garcia while also expressing sadness over the other Cebu Province officials for trying to "destroy" the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT).

He said the project, which he conceptualized when he was mayor, is for a city that his father, former governor Sergio "Serging" Osmeña, Jr. loved so much.

Osmeña earlier said he will sue the provincial government to get back the land where the Capitol and Osmeña Boulevard sit because Serging, and therefore the Osmeña family, still owns it.

“ln response to Gwen’s statement that I should get my facts straight. ..True, but I will remind her that she is not the judge,” Osmeña told The Freeman.

“I will submit the same in the proper court where she cannot bully the judge. Haha!” he added.

Earlier, Garcia also insisted on the province's ownership of the Osmeña Blvd. as a result of a 1930s land swap deal between the Cebu provincial government and Cebu Heights, Inc., which Serging owned.

Osmeña said his father did not receive the promised properties in exchange for his, so the deal was technically not consummated.

Yesterday, he told The Freeman that he is not going to have a media war with Garcia, as he would definitely see her in court.

He said he is already finalizing his “case build-up” and his lawyers would be the ones to decide as to when is the proper time to bring the matter to court.

“We have enough information to file, but we want to retrieve as much documents as we can,” he said.

The former mayor said he is now the administrator of their family's properties.

Also, Osmeña likewise expressed his disappointment of the entire PB and the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Cebu for supporting Garcia’s order to put a stop to the CBRT's civil works near Fuente Osmeña and the Capitol building for "heritage protection."

“It’s really sad that the entire Provincial Board and mayors would like to destroy a project for the city my father Serging Osmena, Jr. loved so much,” Osmena said.

“We were not going to destroy the Capitol building.  We will only block the view from a certain angle. Is this reason enough to stop a ?16-billion project that would help half a million car-less commuters?” he added.

Serging served as Cebu governor in the early 50s, Cebu City mayor in the 60s, and also as a senator in the 60s to 1971.

“The irony of it all is that it was Serging Osmeña who personally donated the property to the province, who is now using the same to destroy his life-long dream to help Cebu City,” Osmeña said.

“To the Governor, the Garcia family, Provincial Board members and mayors, your message is loud and clear:  It was big mistake to help the province of Cebu," he said.

He also reminded the Cebuanos on the Garcia family's alleged attempt to block what is now the South Road Properties (SRP).

“I would also remind the people that Gwen comes from the same family of Garcia that challenged the legality of the SRP for years and lost…. Just imagine if the Garcias caused the cancellation of the SRP and the South Coastal Road, the towns from Talisay to Santander would be as rotten as ever," the former mayor said. — (FREEMAN)