Ex-mayor admits getting senior citizen's incentive

CEBU, Philippines - He may be a stalwart of the opposition, but former mayor Alvin Garcia is also among the senior citizens of Cebu City, who benefited from the cash incentives granted by his former ally now archrival Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

Garcia admitted that his P2,000 cash incentives last year was released by the Cebu City Government. He however did not receive the money, because it was withdrawn by a friend whom he had given authorization to do so.

Garcia refused to reveal the name of his friend, who he said is the husband of a relative of Osmeña.

According to him, he only signed all the needed application and the authorization.

To his surprise the money was released without him going to the city hall. Garcia questioned the laxity in the releasing of the cash incentives.

“Nganong ako, who do not need it, makakuha man?”

Garcia asked with reference to the other beneficiaries, who were not able to get it because they can not personally go to the city hall.

“Lax kaayo,” he added.

Garcia yesterday took the hot seat of The Freeman’s Know Your Candidate roundtable discussion.

Garcia took the opportunity to criticize the Osmeña administration for allegedly “setting back” the city’s development.

“This administration has set us back. It has set us back a lot of years,” Garcia stressed.

According to him, Osmeña did not pursue his vision for Cebu, which could have made it a mega city by now.

He said that his biggest disappointments with the administration of Osmeña are its failure to continue the waterfront development project and the Cebu Is It.

The Cebu Is It, according to Garcia, could have generated at least 70,000 jobs with the people earning at least P30,000 a month because of the call centers.

The waterfront development project would have developed the waterfront area into a tourist destination to increase tourist arrivals.

Garcia vowed to revive the Cebu Is It and pursue the waterfront development project if elected mayor in May 10. – Fred P. Languido/NLQ FREEMAN NEWS)