Duterte issues a tough speech vs Mayor Tomas Osmeña

Today is the birthday of the late Philippine STAR publisher Maximo V. Soliven who would have turned 89 years today. For 20 years of my life, Sir Max Soliven was at the beginning of my journalistic career as I became his “Alikabok” because he turned me into a columnist in this paper. It was on Aug. 4, 1987 when the Freeman publisher, the late Juanito Jabat turned me into columnist and Sir Max said that it was a great beginning for me and a year and a half later, I started writing for the Philippine STAR after Sir Max told me that before I could write, I had to talk to Mrs. Betty Go-Belmonte who advised me to ensure that we write only the truth in the Philippine STAR.

Just to remind our friends, it was Sir Max who called this corner “Shooting Straight” and in the year 2000 when I began my talkshow on SkyCable, he called it “Straight from the Sky” as I was with SkyCable. As they say, the rest as you know is history. Twelve years ago, we lost Sir Max (he also had a kidney transplant two years before he died) when he succumbed to heart failure when he was in Tokyo. It was a 20-year friendship that I continue to treasure even today.

Two years before he died, Sir Max spent his birthday here in Cebu at the City Sports Club with a few close friends, whom he really called close to him. It was then that he agreed to have an interview on my talkshow, Straight from the Sky, a file of which is always in my office so when I would miss Sir Max, I would simply watch that interview which was Sir Max at his best and his happiest. So may I request the pious reader to please pray for the repose of his soul.

* * *

Last Thursday I was at the New World Hotel in Makati attending the 37th founding anniversary and the 28th SKAL International Personality Awards at the New World Hotel in Makati and SKAL president Dr. Jaime “Jimmy” Bautista was given a great honor by one of the SKAL Personality Awardees, Joanne Rae Ramirez when she made mention in her acceptance speech that the PAL president and CEO was at the NAIA Terminal handling out foodstuff to stranded passengers, which is why PAL truly deserves the Four Star Rating. Bautista got a standing ovation because of what Joanne Rae Ramirez told us at the SKAL Awards night.

* * *

It was the charter day celebration for the City of Mandaue last Thursday when their guest of honor, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte spoke on stage and gave an unexpected speech against Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña when he said in Cebuano, “Hoy Tomas! Dili na ni panahon sa Katsila, ha? Kanang style nimo nga mura ka’g si kinsa, taas kaayo ka manulti. Ingon pa ka nga ako protector ng shabu. Ingnan tika magkita ta, anak ka ng p*ta ayaw pagtuong kinsa (ka). Dili gani ta magkasinabot sa atong istorya tamparuson taka sa daghang tawo. Ayaw ko binuangi ana kay dili ko Cebuano nga imong daug-daugon.” It was the sharpest attack anyone ever gave to Mayor Tomas Osmeña and one coming from the President.

Of course I got this piece of news from my messenger account as I was still in Manila at that time and this became viral in the social media networks not just in Cebu. Apparently a lot of people agreed to what Pres. Duterte said about Mayor Osmeña and say that it’s about time that someone higher than the Mayor would have to put him in his place. Many pundits wanted to know why the President was so pissed at Mayor Osmeña? Many believe that this was due to Presidential Assistant to the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino, but from what I gathered, this recent tiff did not come from Michael, but from the police whom Mayor Osmeña had a recent issue.

This latest issue came about last Aug. 24 when the Parian Police Station arrested three men for refilling butane canisters with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at T. Padilla Public Market, Cebu City and Mayor Osmeña went to the Parian Police Station and demanded to release the three arrested men into his custody. Mayor Osmeña said that he often helps poor people who get arrested on Friday and cannot be released until after the weekend.

Apparently many radio broadcasters insist that the three men arrested were working in a company which Mayor Osmeña’s son Miguel is a partner. We’ve already written this in our Freeman column, but up to now, Mayor Osmeña has neither confirmed nor denied this information. The latest report on this is that Cebu City Police Office Director Royina Garma filed a case against the Mayor at the Office of the Ombudsman. Apparently Mayor Osmeña is having problems with the PNP not just in Cebu City, but in Region 7 as well. It’s the first time that the police are not under the control  of Mayor Osmeña, unlike what he had in the past 20 years.

* * *

Email: [email protected]