Arm-twisting FLI to rescind the deal
That Filinvest Land Inc. agreed with Mayor Tomas Osmeña to rescind its contract for the 19.2 hectares in the South Road Properties sends the wrong signals to potential investors to Cebu City that politics play a huge role in keeping one's investments viable or operational. Of course everyone believes that Osmeña could easily twist the arms of FLI Senior Vice President Tristan Las Marias firstly because this fellow always wanted to be close to Mayor Osmeña in the past.
But looking into this deal, it seems that the City of Cebu failed to fulfill its obligations that it signed with this contract. But since this is a joint venture with the City of Cebu and FLI Inc. unless you had Mayor Osmeña as your ally and partner that deal could never move forward. So in short, Tristan Las Marias had no choice but to announce the rescission of the deal. Of course to those potential investors to Cebu City who heard about the scuttling of this deal, it sends the wrong message that indeed, the business climate in Cebu City has turned sour under the leadership of Mayor Osmeña.
In a presscon the other day, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino tagged Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña "anti-business and anti-poor." Dino cited the mayor's recent actions against businesses such as Banco de Oro, Filinvest Land Inc., Ayala and SM. The Presidential Assistant said, "Definitely he is anti-business and anti-poor. Big businesses were being bullied. He is a bully."
We know too well that there is no love lost between Mayor Osmeña and Michael Dino which dates as far as six-years ago when the former blocked his Cuidad project that he won from the Province of Cebu. That ill-fated deal could have brought in more investors to Cebu and hired more workers. But Osmeña used the excuse that the Cuidad project would have worsen the traffic along the Banilad-Talamban Road.
Incidentally, the City of Cebu launched "Serbisyo Sugboanon 2017" a few days ago. People are wondering what this is all about? Is it a propaganda campaign aimed to improve the image of the City of Cebu? To date, people in Facebook continue to bewail the potholes in many of our streets (in fairness, the DEPW) asphalted Juana Osmeña St. the other week) but many streets still need a lot of fixing, especially now that summer is fast approaching.
Then there is the perennial problem of traffic mismanagement in Cebu City. Let me cite a particular corner where the habal-habal drivers reign as king of the road. They block the corner from the Doña Modesta Gaisano Bridge that leads to Beverley Hills to Gorordo Avenue and many of them ride their motorcycles sans helmet. This only tells you that our traffic enforcers are not present in that vital intersection.
As for my pet peeve, nothing is being done to implement the only infrastructure project that would certainly ease the traffic congestion along Escario Street. I understand that this project has not been budgeted for the 2017 National Budget, which means we must continue hammering for its implementation with the Department of Public Works and Highways. In the meantime that Cebu City is getting a poor reputation with regards our business climate, the least we can do is improve our infrastructure development in order to ease our horrendous traffic situation.
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Two weeks ago, the New People's Army withdrew its unilateral ceasefire agreement with the Philippine government, thus throwing into disarray the peace talks in Rome between the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front forcing President Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte to also withdraw its own ceasefire with the Reds. Now it is back to square one, with skirmishes between the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the NPA in many areas all over the country.
Sensing that they acted too rashly in rescinding the ceasefire with the government, we have learned that the CPP-NDF-NPA want to resume the peace talks. But after being burned by the insincerity of the Reds, the Philippine government would only agree to resume peace talks with communist rebels if they cease ambushing troopers, stop their extortion actions, and the burning of properties.
I fully agree with these conditions. So now the ball is in the court of the Communists.
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