Tommy Osmeña ready for debate with Garcia

CEBU CITY — In response to a challenge from the camp of Mayor Alvin Garcia, Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) mayoralty bet Tomas Osmeña said he would only face Garcia in a debate if the mayor has no chaperones.

"They (Garcia’s camp) can take up any topic they want. I can take up any topic I want. But it has to be a one-on-one. No yayas are allowed," Osmeña said.

The former mayor, in his speech before leaders of the Rotary Clubs of Cebu, Cebu West and Cebu North, said bringing up controversies involving the Metro Cebu Development Project (MCDP), which he used to chair, would be "unfair" to him.

"I would like to invoke one of the questions of the Rotary’s four-way test: Is it fair? I don’t have all the files of the MCDP. Sonny Osmeña spent years studying the MCDP documents and the anomalies that may have been committed there," Osmeña said, referring to his cousin, Sen. John "Sonny" Osmeña.

Garcia’s brother and campaign manager, Jesus Garcia Jr., earlier said that Alvin would agree to a debate with Tomas only if they would focus on alleged corruption in the MCDP and the city’s questionable deal with Zuellig.

Both Tomas and Alvin were invited to the Rotary Club’s joint meeting but according to the club’s incoming president Ramon Duterte, Jesus informed him in a letter that the mayor could not be there because his luncheon meeting schedule was fully booked.

Jesus instead suggested a debate between Kusug, Alvin’s party, and BO-PK.— Freeman News Service