CebuTimes

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The Banilad-Talamban flyover is taking excruciatingly slow to finish. When construction began the contractors estimated it would be finished by August. The latest word, however, is that the flyover would be fully operational on Oct. 15.

Tomorrow, Sept. 5, was supposed to be the deadline. Now, the contractors are rushing, employing more laborers to work 24 hours. Karon pa! They should have done this months ago!

Yet, this reflects the kind of governance city hall has been serving to its constituents. One word: sloppy. Mayor Tommy Osmeña was an advocate of the building of the flyover, bullheadedly insisting on its construction even as businessmen in the area were against it. But that’s the mayor for you, bullheaded and acerbic-tongued but sloppy.

In the latest shooting –there were several in the past 3 weeks– lawyer Richard Sison was gunned down in broad daylight by assailants who didn’t bother to cover their faces. Several witnesses, in fact, were able to give police artists clear descriptions of them.

Why have these killers become bolder? There are 2 theories I can think of.

1. They’re from out of town
2. They’re sure of not getting caught; and, if they’re apprehended, are equally sure of not being prosecuted

If they’re from out of town, this should not be reason for the long arm of the long not to reach them. We’ve seen Cebu city police successful in the past in pursuing and arresting out-of-town bank robbers.

However, if the killers are not afraid to be pursued and arrested, this means the killers may have a powerful mastermind. The killers were professional in every way. They tailed the lawyer, who was driving alone, and at a stoplight alighted from a motorcycle and peppered Sison with 9mm submachine guns. Sison didn’t have a chance. They then sped away.

Richard Sison was a high-profile lawyer. Whoever had him assassinated either had an ongoing case or just lost one. Obviously he had the money to hire professional killers.

It is hoped that the police would quickly get into the bottom of this latest crime and prosecute the guilty whoever or how influential they may be. The beautiful province of Cebu must not be perceived as a place that has sunk into lawlessness.

In a country where we often see bitter rivalries in politics, organizations and, yes, even in churches, it’s a breath of fresh air to witness two bitter political enemies kiss and make up.

When Gov. Gwen Garcia trooped to Bogo last Thursday to promote the province-wide tourism project, "Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo" (Tour Cebu), Bogo City Mayor Celestino "Junie" Martinez was on hand to greet her and even buzzed her on the cheek.

Once bitter rivals for the gubernatorial seat of Cebu province, Junie and Gwen seemed to have buried the hatchet. Mayor Martinez opened his welcome speech with "Our beloved governor". Gov. Garcia for her part told the people of Bogo City, "We in turn welcome you into our hearts."

Skeptics may want to believe that what transpired was just for show and that both Junie and Gwen were just doing what they do best: playing politics.

Perhaps. But in these times of corruption scandals, soaring rice prices, oil price hikes and political polarizations, what happened in Bogo City gives a ray of hope and inspiration. We certainly need more like that!

Ongoing is the construction of the Banilad-Talamban flyover, the third flyover in that stretch of road that begins at Gorordo Ave.

The target month of completion is around July. Meanwhile, traffic is from painstakingly slow to standstill. Slow traffic, in fact, was the reason why City Hall gave the go-ahead to construct the flyover. And when Mayor Osmeña says, "Go," it’s a go no matter what others may say.

While the construction was being mulled, businessmen were already saying the flyover might kill or hinder their businesses. They suggested instead that the road be widened. It would be cheaper and businesses would not be affected.

While this article will not dwell on the merits (or demerits) of a flyover or road-widening, the construction does point out poor urban planning by City Hall. It’s more of a gut reaction to the sudden pains of a growing city.

Whether the flyover will ease out traffic or not is not the point. When the local government is reactive, this means future problems are not foreseen. When this is the way things are run, there will come a time when an accumulation of problems will present itself as unsolvable. When this happens, the ones who will suffer will be the constituents.

Then, like all politicians, those presently in charge of government will merely lose the next election and pass the problem and blame to the next leader.

Here’s some really good news. 534 sheltered children were recognized in simple rites by the Cebu City government as having graduated from various educational levels namely, elementary, secondary and college.

These children are former street children, children in conflict with the law, abused and disadvantaged children taken into shelter by various non-government agencies recognized by the Cebu City Task Force on Street Children which is headed by Mayor Tommy Osmeña’s wife, Margot.

Of the 534 graduates, 255 graduated from elementary, 184 graduated from high school, 90 from college and five others finished vocational and short-term courses. Among those recognized were 22 honor students, three of them valedictorians, a salutatorian and 18 other students with honors.

Speaking before the graduates and their house parents during the recognition ceremony, Mrs. Osmeñ said, "Before, our only purpose was to keep you safe. I did not imagine there would come a time that we would see 90 of you graduating from college. This is a source of so much pride for us".

Indeed, the recognition rites is a glowing testament of a community working together to give once hopeless children a bright and hopeful future.

A poignant scene unfolded yesterday during the graduation rites of the College of Nursing of Cebu Doctors’ University. Vicente Ruba marched onto the stage to posthumously receive the diploma of his daughter, Ruby Jade Ruba.

Everyone in the auditorium, which included university president Potenciano Larrazabal, other officials, faculty and students, rose to give Ruba a standing ovation.

Ruby Jade Ruba was fatally shot last March 7 by gangsters no older than her. They claimed they did it for fun and to steal her cell phone.

After the graduation rites, Vicente Ruba told reporters that his wife couldn’t accompany him because she was still grief-stricken. The Rubas are from Southern Leyte. He also cautioned students to be extra careful when travelling.

Meanwhile, the killers have recanted their earlier admission to the shooting (although there are witnesses to the crime) and have fired their court-appointed lawyer. They want instead to hire a private lawyer.

It would be doubly tragic if Ruby’s killers would go scot-free. They not only killed a promising, young woman, but the hopes and aspirations of a family.

Ruby was shot while she was on her way to her lodging house after finishing a case study with classmates. It was the last hurdle before graduation. How she must have been excited for the day she would receive her diploma!

Then three gangsters who had been drinking and out for a thrill end it all.

It was courageous for Vicente Ruba to come to Cebu and complete his daughter’s scholastic journey by receiving her diploma.

It is hoped that his trek would not be in vain in that the killers would be tried and sent to prison for the rest of their useless lives.

Any entertainer worth his salt who has performed in Cebu will tell you that Cebuano audiences are the hardest to please. But when they fall in love with you, they become fiercely loyal.

Apparently no one told this to Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr., star witness of the Senate inquiry into the ZTE-NBN corruption scandal. So Jun Lozada came, he saw, and he fizzled out. There were no huge crowds, no confetti, no politico-like handshakes wherever he went, and the forum wherein he spoke was only a third full.

It’s not that Cebuanos are not politically conscious. They are against corruption as any patriotic Filipino. They are abreast of the Senate inquiry and are indignant over the broadband scandal. A majority, in fact, believe in Jun Lozada.

So why was there a measly turn-out on his visit? Cebuanos simply felt he didn’t have to come. They heard everything he had to say to the Senate. What could he say more that would compel Cebuanos to stop their daily routine and flock to hear him speak?

Yet, Jun Lozada could have made his visit worthwhile by patiently making his views known to forum participants, no matter how few they were, and lay the groundwork for a future visit. Instead, he insults Cebuano sensibilities by bad-mouthing their beloved and highly respected prelate, Cardinal Vidal, charging him of giving an order to priests in his archdiocese not to say Mass for Jun Lozada.

He called the Cebu archdiocese the "The Archdiocese of Malacañang." The Black and White Movement shortly followed this up by calling Vidal a "Congressman in Cossack."

When the truth came out that there was no such order, Lozada sheepishly dismissed his statement as a "joke," further alienating himself from Cebuanos. Many felt he should have apologized outright and shore up his image as a crusader of truth. You do not come into the turf of a deeply religious people and insult their spiritual leader and then hope to visit again proclaiming to be the harbinger of truth.

So, will this turn Cebuanos into non-believers of Jun Lozada? Not likely. For Cebuanos, what transpired was seen as a failed attempt of Manileños to foist their brand of politics on us. Perhaps, better luck next time … if there is a next time.

Oh, and an apology won’t hurt either.

What Lapu-lapu city Mayor Arturo Radaza should do is answer the corruption charges being hurled at him by businessman Efrain Pelaez. Instead, he unleashes "attack dogs" on Pelaez, questioning his motives and reputation. He then tries to shore up support from his barangay captains and various cause-oriented groups.

As long as Radaza hems and haws, flips and flops and tries to do everything except face the accusations head-on, he looks more guilty as each day passes.

Radaza promised to answer the charges in the "proper forum.". Meanwhile he uses his minions to write letters to editors to place Pelaez in a bad light, even raising counter charges such as evading taxes in not so proper forums.

Let us, for the sake of argument, say that Pelaez is one of the worst persons you can ever meet, Radaza still has to answer the charges set before him. Throwing mud and tantrums is not going to get him off the hook, nor is it going to endear Cebuanos to him.

Worse, it’s going to show potential investors that Lapu-lapu city, and perhaps the whole province, is run by tyrants who bully businessmen that don’t stand for corruption.

I’m a person with a disability (PWD). I walk with a long leg brace and a cane. As such I can’t walk long distances. However, I can drive a car, albeit one with an automatic transmission.

Thus, parking spaces for PWD’s are essential to me. There are quite a number of establishments in Metro-Cebu that enforce the policy of allowing only PWD’s to park in spaces reserved for them. Actually it’s a law.

Unfortunately, in SM City it’s more of lip service. I don’t like going to SM City because of this. But there are times when I have to such as taking my grandson to watch a particular movie that’s exclusive to their cinema.

It must be made clear that parking spaces with the sign, "Parking for the Disabled,&quot are for PWD’s who are able to drive cars. These parking spaces are there so PWD’s, whether they’re on wheelchairs or can walk with assistance, can park close to the entrances.

In SM City, there are several slots available to PWD’s but they’re almost always full. I don’t believe they’re all occupied by cars driven by PWD’s. So once I waited to see if this was true. Sure enough, one car was driven by a non-PWD but with a PWD passenger.

I told the guard that cars with a passenger PWD should not park there but he said that it didn’t matter because there was still a PWD involved. The trouble with this reasoning is that a driver who is not PWD will always give the false reason that he merely dropped a PWD at the entrance and will park there to wait for the PWD.

I actually saw this happen and I got down from my car and confronted the driver. Fortunately, he relented and allowed me to take the space instead.

In another mall I frequent, parking spaces for PWD’s are strictly for PWD-driven cars (which is why I frequent this mall) and is enforced by the guard at the entrance. SM City officials should know this. Ignorance of the law is not an excuse for breaking it.

They must also know that PWD’s such as myself are not asking for special privileges; we’re asking for equal opportunity.

Technorati Tags: pwd’s, person with a disability, sm city, metro-cebu, malls

In a recent issue of Sun-Star Daily, the leading newspaper in Cebu City, there was an item on Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia. She was quoted as calling a recent business report of the Philippines being the most corrupt in Asia as “misleading.”

Yet, all around that news item were stories and sub-stories of the over-pricing of lamp posts used during the last Asean summit. Some of those lamp posts even found their way into private beach resorts. Go figure!

Someone somehow got rich in that purchase. You might be able to forgive the over-pricing if it were mere pesos. But the over-pricing was in the thousands per post!

I’m not saying Gov. Garcia had anything to do with it. But it’s laughable how politicians are the only ones in our country denying that corruption report.

There are only two reasons why: It’s either they’re too stupid to know anything or too stupid on how to hide it.