Tomas dares Dino to debate anew

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has challenged Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino anew to a debate on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project that Dino is opposing.

Osmeña said a debate would make the public understand the project better.

"If he will not accept the challenge, that means he loses by default. That means he has to swallow everything he said," Osmeña said.

Dino has been vocal about his opposition to the BRT following the statement of “transport expert” Rene Santiago that the project would worsen the traffic situation in the city because of the narrow roads here.

While the city and BRT project implementation unit are continually implementing the BRT project, Osmeña said he is more than willing to explain to Cebuanos how the project will work.

"If, for the sake of Cebuanos, then I'm willing to debate him, but to me, personally, he's a waste of time. He can do no good for Cebu. He just likes to destroy," Osmeña said yesterday.

Dino did not decline the challenge categorically but said the city needs to disclose certain details about the project.

"Neither I nor Mayor Tom is a public transportation expert. Thus, a debate between us will just become a circus and cloud the real issues instead of enlightening the public,” he said.

He added, “In fact, I will give him a better option: I will give him ten questions on BRT to answer and give him a chance so he can consult his experts."

He said Osmeña and other proponents of the BRT have reportedly not been transparent on the details of the BRT project. The feasibility study has reportedly been kept confidential all this time.

"He is hiding project documents that state that there will be no road widening and money intended for road right of way acquisition is only for bus depots, stations, and terminals," Dino added.

Last week, the Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) moved to approve the P5.69 billion additional funding for the BRT for right-of-way acquisition.

He said the NEDA board, which is chaired by the president, will approve the additional budget.

The issue now, he said, is not on the approval of the project but the approval of the additional budget.

Osmeña said the city can accept the Light Rail Transit (LRT), which Dino is pushing for, but the latter should get approval for the LRT first and not intervene with the implementation of the BRT. 

Divided council

Meanwhile, during their regular session yesterday, majority of the councilors approved the resolution of Councilor Sisinio Andales that the BRT will address the traffic situation here. 

Twelve supported the resolution but five, all members of Team Rama, did not, citing the absence of road widening in some areas of the 23-kilometer route as the reason why they opposed.

Those who supported the resolution are councilors affiliated with Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan, as well as Team Rama Councilors Jose Daluz III, Eduardo Rama, and Phillip Zafra.

Those who opposed were James Anthony Cuenco, Jocelyn Pesquera, and Pastor Alcover,Jr.

Councilors Joel Garganera and Raymond Alvin Garcia abstained from voting.

Cuenco said “common sense” tells him to vote against the BRT project as it would not solve the traffic situation, especially since roads will not be widened, especially Escario Street and the Banilad-Talamban corridor.

Alcover said the BRT project is just a “band-aid solution” while Pesquera said the project will create more room for chaos.

Garcia, for his part, said a subway system is what is needed. He said he will support the BRT only if roads will be widened.

He said the city has narrow roads, which are not viable for a BRT system because the BRT requires a dedicated lane for it to operate.

Garganera agrees with Garcia that road that portions of roads in Pardo, Escario Street, and the Banilad-Talamban area should be widened. At present, these roads have four lanes.

It is important to widen the roads, they said, because once the BRT is in place, only two lanes for both directions will remain for private and other public transportation vehicles.

Garganera cites China as an example where BRT is effective because of wide roads.

The lot acquisition of the existing BRT project is solely for bus stations, terminals, and depot and does not include road widening. (FREEMAN)