Today is a special holiday in Cebu because it is the 151st birthday of Don Sergio OsmeÒa, Sr. the only Cebuano to become president of the Philippines. Don Sergio OsmeÒa, Sr. lived in a different time and era when politicians were honorable men. I have come to know about Don Sergio OsmeÒa, Sr. because of his two-volume biography written by his biographer Don Vicente Albano Pacis. Reading the life and times of Don Sergio, perhaps the most unforgettable thing that he did was not to campaign in the first elections after we were given Independence by the Americans.
His reason? He did not want to abuse his power as president to campaign because it was unethical. Because of this honorable act, Don Sergio OsmeÒa, Sr. lost to Pres. Manuel Roxas. Don Sergio thought that the Filipino electorate would elect him back as president in gratitude for his sacrifice for the Filipino people holding the Philippine government in exile in the US while World War II was raging and the Japanese held the Philippine Islands. That in my book is why Don Sergio OsmeÒa is the greatest Cebuano that ever lived.
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The big breaking news in the political scene is the official announcement by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte that, finally, he is not running for president. Of course, a lot of supporters of Mayor Duterte are disappointed with this news, but I told you in my previous columns that he would not run. You can ask Douglas Luym who introduced Mayor Duterte to Cebu businessmen at the Cebu Country Club last Jan. 29. I wrote this piece in The Freeman last May 27 about that meeting with Mayor Rodrigo Duterte with the Cebuano businessmen on Jan. 29 at the Cebu Country Club.
"I have already written the story of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who met with Cebu Businessmen at the Cebu Country Club just after the Sinulog Festival and again let me repeat what Mayor Duterte told usÖ"I will never ran for President if DILG Sec. Mar Roxas would seek the Presidency." So you askÖ why then is Mayor Duterte coming back and forth to Cebu? Is he campaigning for himself or is he doing this for Sec. Mar Roxas?"
After his talk with the Cebu businessmen, Douglas Luym asked me what I think of Mayor Duterte as a presidential candidate? I told Douglas square in the eye that he was just being used by DILG Sec. Mar Roxas to gather people who wanted a Federal systemÖ then on the nth hour, he would declare that he would not be running and would support the presidential bid of Sec. Mar Roxas. Well, my hunch was right on the nail and this is one time I can say to our readersÖ I told you so!
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As I said in yesterday's column that I would write about the case about that incident along Don Jose Avila St. that would certainly put Mayor Mike Rama in hot water in the Office of the Ombudsman whether he would win the mayoralty race or not. As I already wrote before, I warned Mayor Mike that he had overstepped his power as mayor when he demolished the Alejandro's Restaurant on that street and when Mr. Adrian Lee bought the property from the previous owner, Mayor Mike thought erroneously that the coffee shop of Mr. Adrian Lee was just another squatter along the sidewalk.
But Mr. Lee got his locational clearance from the Cebu City Zoning Board and a building permit from the Office of the Building Official. Then out of the blue, Mayor Mike Rama somehow ordered for the cancelation of the locational clearance and revocation of the building permit because that part of Don Jose Avila St. was subject to a road widening. Strangely, of the thirteen (13) members of the CCZB, only three (3) members were present to cancel Mr. Adrian Lee's permits and yet these three approved its revocation "unanimously." How can three board members sign as unanimous when there were only three (3) members present? In my book, this is railroading what Mayor Rama ordered them to do.
Worse for Mayor Rama is a document that I got from the Secretary of the Acting Secretary of the Sangguniang Panlungsod dated July 30, 2015 attesting to the fact that there was no such road widening for Don Jose Avila Street. This means that the members of the CCZB were misled by someone that they should revoke or cancel the permits for Mr. Lee's building due to this road widening. This is what happens when you use lies to pursue you nefarious goals and in the end, people get hurt in the process.
This case is a black mark on Mayor Rama's otherwise clean record in public service. As I said, I warned him not only once but twice that he was in the wrongÖbut he refused to listen to good advice. Now he has become as arrogant as his predecessor. Yes, people will never forget the time that Mayor Tomas OsmeÒa kicked a barbecue vendor in Lahug. Now Mayor Mike Rama has done worse in removing a legitimate business all because he wanted to please and accommodate his friend.
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For email responses to this article, write to vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.